Denville Township, NJ – From New Jersey to regions as far west as Alaska and Hawaii, and as far north and south as Maine and Florida, the 26 students in Heather McCauley’s Inclusive PreK Class sent a message of love and kindness. In return they received over 260 Valentines from each of the 50 United States. The Denville Township students’ message was designed to both share smiles and encourage others to help them connect with people from across the country.
To launch their ambitious initiative of sharing love and kindness from coast to coast, the 4-year-olds began, on January 13, 2026, by visiting each of the kindergarten through grade five classrooms in their Lakeview School community. They shared with each teacher, student, staff member, and parent a Valentine’s Day card that read:
“A Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
We hope to bring smiles that shine through
Our goal is to spread love to each State
…So will you be our Valentine?”
And, with that, Denville Township School District’s “Lakeview School Calling All Valentines! 50 States Edition” was launched. The students also made a list of special people and organizations, and sent their Valentine message to them, as well. With word of mouth and social media the initiative grew and grew.
Each day was filled with anticipation as the PreK students waited for an announcement that there was mail for the class.
With the first Valentine arriving from Pennsylvania and the most recent from New Mexico, McCauley and her students have turned their letter-writing campaign into a life-long learning activity.
“We opened all the cards together,” PreK teacher Heather McCauley said. This provided an opportunity for students to learn about the letter-writer, the state the letter came from, and the family and friends of those who sent the letter.
“Every teacher in the school was invested. Everyone reached out to everyone, and those people reached out to everyone they knew,” noted McCauley. “We started getting cards from friends of friends of friends.”
Included among the Valentines the PreK class received are hearts from Santa Clause, The New York Giants, Disney World, and the White House.
“Initially the project was just about showing the PreK kids how easy it is to share love and how to be kind in just a simple way of mailing a card,” McCauley explained. “It ended up turning into so much more.”
As the Valentines poured-in, the students not only opened the cards together and hung them up for all to see, but they also identified each state on a giant map, learned the beginning sounds of each state, counted how many cards were received from each state, learned about different family members and friends from across the country, and unified their entire school community.
“Not only were letters and sounds reinforced,” added McCauley, “but we also learned about mail and postal workers, community on a local and global stage, and fun facts about each state. We even had the school’s mail lady come down and take a look at the board and meet our class. Additionally, some of these 4-year-old students are now even able to find the states independently on the map.”
Over the past month, the students’ board of Valentines has grown and grown.
“I like that they are all over the wall and we can look at them,” said Nora DellaBarca, a 4-year-old student who participated in the initiative.
“The cards put a smile on the face of everyone who walks by,” McCauley said. “Students stop and read, teachers stop and read, everyone is sharing and spreading love and kindness and that is what makes me smile.”
“These students are rock stars,” said Skye Sardanopoli, Principal of Lakeview Elementary School in Denville Township, New Jersey. “Through letter writing, geography, and real-world engagement, our PreK students at Lakeview School are developing an early understanding of the world around them. And, just as importantly, learning that their voices matter. This project created a powerful and lasting memory for our students and a strong foundation for the learning that they will continue for years to come.”
When asked what he liked best about the “Calling All Valentines! 50 States Edition” project, 4-year-old Harrison Wisswesser said, “We got Shark Teeth and shells and so many stickers and even the NEW YORK GIANTS!”
Mason Marino, also 4, added, “I like the ones from the green state (which is California on the classroom map). Oh, and all the doggy ones!”
“What Ms. McCauley accomplished is a beautiful example of how meaningful learning begins in early childhood,” Sardanopoli added. “What started as a creative Valentine’s Day idea quickly became an authentic learning experience rooted in curiosity, connection, and joy.”
By including the “Calling All Valentines! 50 States Edition” in her educational activities for her students, McCauley hoped that her students would learn that a simple card makes both the person who receives it and the sender feel good about themselves. But in implementing the project, the students and the entire Lakeview School community learned so much more.
“I love how loved these students feel,” said McCauley. “And, down the road, I hope this helps them to remember all the states, and how different each state is, and that we all share a joy for kindness and love.”
