Attending school is more than grades or taking standardized tests, it’s about learning compassion and commitment toward the community.

“There is so much more to school than the three R’s and state testing,” Nelrose Coffman, director of instruction and curriculum for Symmes Valley school district, said. “School is a place to learn to care and appreciate how others feel, that’s what makes good productive neighbors and citizens. We are our brother’s keeper.”

The entire second grade class, about 60 students at Symmes Valley Elementary School, has been working to prepare for a visit at the Heartland Nursing Home in Burlington.

For the past few weeks, the students have been making Valentine’s Day cards for each resident. The students filled treat bags and made crafts to give to the residents as they briefly visited and socialized in the recreation room of the nursing home, Coffman said.

“When we first went in, the students seemed a little timid,” Pam Lang, organizer of the event, said. “When the residents held out their hands, the students went running, giving them hug after hug. Words can’t express how proud I was of our students,”

The students distributed their handmade valentines, sang, “You are My Sunshine,” and hugged the residents as they left. The residents clapped, sang along and showed their appreciation to the 9-year-old students during the visit.

“I don’t know which was more touching, the children talking and hugging their elders or the obvious delight of the residents to have so many visitors wanting to share time with them and listen to the stories of their youth,” Coffman said.

Lang asked parents to allow their children to do chores at home to earn money to buy small gifts such as toiletries, crossword puzzle books, hygiene items, costume jewelry and trinkets to give to the nursing home to be used for game activities and prizes to help entertain the residents during the long winter months, Coffman said.

“What made me cry was the cheers for the gifts that was donated by the students,” Lang said.

Some of the students donated 20 to 30 items each. When all of the items were packed, there were 12 to 15 boxes delivered to the nursing home.

“We were so proud that the students worked so hard,” Lang said. “I offered my students a ticket for the treasure box for each item and a ring-pop for every 10 items. I am happy to say I had to go out and buy more ring-pops. I had one student bring in 55 items.”

About 60 percent of Symmes Valley students qualify for the federally funded lunch program at a free or reduced rate, which is based on parental income. Symmes Valley is in the bottom 10 percent of school districts in the state of Ohio based on wealth. School districts receive the bulk of their money based on local property taxes.

“When you consider these factors, the overwhelming generosity of these students is heart warming and truly define the spirit of the school,” Coffman said. “They gave what they had, not what they could.”

The Symmes Valley Elementary PTO provided funding for transportation and provided lunch at the South Point Ponderosa for lunch after the nursing home visit.