Not many teachers go above and beyond for a Valentine’s Day party, even if it’s their favorite holiday. Each year English teacher Julie Skinner hosts Valentine’s Day parties, dedicating the whole class block to spreading the love among classmates. 

   “I work all year on classroom environment, trying to create an open, safe environment for everyone. I want the students to really get to know each other, even if they don’t turn into best friends. So the parties on my favorite holiday just make sense. Valentine’s Day is a great day to celebrate love, but not just romantic love,” Skinner said.   

   The parties, now almost a decade-long tradition, consist of passing out valentines for everyone in the classes and having students decorate their own boxes to receive all of their messages. The boxes are entered in a class contest, and a special judge decides who wins for their decor. The boxes students create take lots of time and effort. There have been some very creative ones, according to Skinner.  

   “Peppa the Pig, the box that looked like a student, or the ice cream truck,” Skinner said of her favorites.  

   Students are also innovative with the valentines they distribute to their classmates and teacher.

   “I love any valentines that show some creativity and thoughtfulness. So when someone gives me an ECU valentine or something about one of my hobbies, I love that,” Skinner said. 

   You can really feel the love and friendship in the classroom while everyone is sharing their valentines with their classmates, something we could all use a little more of right now.