Valentine’s Day has resulted in an opportunity for Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center first graders in Angela Coogan’s class to learn about other states and geographic regions. They have been taking part in a Valentine Exchange program along with 250 participating schools throughout the United States and Canada.

Mrs. Coogan’s class is currently exchanging valentines with 23 American classrooms and a Canadian classroom, and each valentine is accompanied with geographic information about the pen pal’s state or region. The valentine and accompanying information are placed on a bulletin board map in Mrs. Coogan’s classroom.

Not only have the students acquired information about different state flowers, mascots, years states were initiated into statehood, and places of interest, they have learned that some of their pen pals live in urban or rural areas. Each of the valentines received and sent by Mrs. Coogan’s class are accompanied with information about the class and the projects students are working on. For example, the C.A. Reinhard students learned that one pen pal school was an educational institution where only soldiers’ families attended. So far, the Bellmore students have received valentines from classes in Kansas, Wyoming, California, Montana, Alabama, Michigan, Kentucky, Connecticut, and Alaska.