Great Hearts Day - February 14
This is celebrated school-wide, and it’s a celebration of FRIENDSHIP
But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine. -Thomas Jefferson
Webster defines friendship as the act of being friends. A first-grader may define friendship by the act of sharing a cookie. A fourth-grader may define friendship by the act of being on the winning team together. But what is it that truly defines friendship?
True friendship is selfless. True friendship is humble. True friendship allows one to be oneself. In the world today, these characteristics mentioned above are not often valued - but in those who are great-hearted, they are held in the highest of esteem. Friendship is an act of giving, and not just to those who deserve it--letting others go before you, letting others take the "best" instead of trying to get it ourselves, wanting to show kindness to someone else instead of wanting them to show kindness to you.
True friendship involves walking the path of life together. To young scholars, this is playing on the same football team together or taking the same art class together. This shared experience allows the scholars' hearts to be knit together in the most innocent of ways. Friendship should be celebrated. To know another that is good, kind, caring, and compassionate toward you is to know sunlight on the cloudiest of days.
At Great Hearts Online, we want to celebrate the virtue of friendship by engaging in small acts of kindness and service throughout the day on Monday, February 14. We want to thank those around us who have been kind, been compassionate, and been true friends. As we want to keep the focus of "Great Hearts Day" on friendship and what it means to be a good friend, students will not be permitted to share store-bought Valentines. Please join us in celebrating friendship through acts of kindness and service on this day. With teacher permission, scholars may also share homemade cards while in their zoom class.