Home / Blog / A Brief Photo History of Kindness, Joy, and Smiles in the Classroom: 70 Years of Valentine’s Day in Schools

A Brief Photo History of Kindness, Joy, and Smiles in the Classroom: 70 Years of Valentine’s Day in Schools

Carlos Changemaker

February 13, 2024

Roses are red, violets are blue,

Everything is covered in glitter and glue,

It’s Valentine’s day in school.

Valentine’s Day has arrived at schools around the country, prompting parents to stock up on cupid stickers and candy hearts. In celebration of this special day, let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore 70 years of teachers and students spreading joy through candies, flowers, and cut-out cards. These nostalgic images are sure to brighten your day just as they did for us.

Valentine’s Day has been a cherished tradition for many generations, offering communities the chance to express their love, friendship, and acts of kindness. From homemade construction paper cards to school chorus telegrams and roses for teachers, these heartwarming photos serve as a reminder of the beauty of this holiday.

Vintage Valentine cards from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

*Feb. 13 1988: Jennifer Wolfe, 7, and Fatima Simms, 8, at Smith Elementary School pose with Valentines to send to children in Kenya.* (The Denver Post/Getty Images)

Second graders at Foster Elementary school at Foster Elementary in Arvada, Colorado, in 1973. (Getty Images)

Feb. 1, 1976: Students at Merrill Junior High in Denver, Colorado, finish cutting hearts. (Denver Post/Getty Images)

Jasie Sharp, 10, ponders her Valentine’s Day cards at party at JuanaMaria Elementary in Los Angeles in 1997.

Carlos Mack delivers roses to a teacher at Telfair Ave School in Pacoima as a large heart is drawn in the sky’s above the Valley on this Valentines day in 1997.

Several children from Stonewall Middle School in Manassas delivered about 100 valentines to patients at the VA Medical Center in 1999 (Getty Images)

*Second grader Vanessa Fede gets a hug from her teacher, Karla Garvin, at the Miller Elementary School after presenting her with a rose during a class Valentine’s Day party in 1998*. (Getty Images)

Third grader Scott Pullen puts the finishing touch on his Valentine to his mom, at Curley Elementary School in Boston in 1999. (Tom Herde/The Boston Globe/Getty Images)

Students at The Andre Agassi Prep School present 1,400 hand made Valentine cards to veterans at The Andre Agassi Prep School on Feb. 7, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

Holly Clarke, Mary Aarfet, Maegan Holman, Lori Nunnally, students in the Mayfair High School Vocal Program, head to a classroom to sing Valentine greeting to other students in Bellflower, California, on Feb. 14, 2007. The singers are raising money for a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. (Getty Images)

Check out our #eduvalentines cards to send to the ed wonks in your life…

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