Students at Diggs-Latham Make Valentines for Ronald McDonald House

At Diggs-Latham Elementary School, students have been participating in the Send Love Valentines Challenge at the Ronald McDonald House.

By Amanda Gordon
Art Teacher & A+ Coordinator
Diggs-Latham Elementary A+ Magnet School for Arts Integration & Performing Arts

The Sending Love Challenge was a great service project for my students. They were excited to help families of children who are struggling with health problems by creating cards and decorations to hang in the local Ronald McDonald House. 

Many of my students were already familiar with the Ronald McDonald House, but those who were not aware of it were excited to learn that we have one in our city just a few minutes from our school. We were invited to participate in the challenge by one of our language facilitators/teacher assistants, Maria LaLlave, who utilized the Ronald McDonald House during the birth and hospital stay of one of her children. The Ronald McDonald House is near and dear to the hearts of many of our faculty, staff and students.

My students and I created approximately 500 cards/decorations/Valentine's for the challenge. Every student in the school kindergarten through fifth grade participated. Cards were finalized and sorted by Art Club and Art Honors students. 

Art Honors is a group of fourth- and fifth-graders who have excelled in art since kindergarten and showed interest in being in a small group.  These groups have one extra art class each week. Art Club meets once a week before school. This group consists of first- through fifth-graders who were invited to Art Club since they are already showing skill and interest in art and have excelled in their art projects and assessments.

You can read more about the "Sending Love Challenge" at Ronald McDonald House