Youngsters share love with Vicksburg seniors

Published 10:33 am Tuesday, February 14, 2017

It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air.

Love was also in the air Monday when students from the First Presbyterian pre-school sang songs and handed out handmade Valentine’s Day cards to residents at the Vicksburg Convalescent Home on Cherry Street.

Valentine’s Day is for everyone, First Presbyterian pre-school teacher Shannon Bell said, and the pre-K and kindergarten students at the school made Valentine’s Day cards for the convalescent home’s residents.

As the students made their cards from hearts and stickers and doilies, Bell said, they also learned about Valentine’s Day colors and that Valentine’s Day is also about sharing love with people outside the family.

“We talked about how Valentine’s Day is not just for people you love in your family, but you can also share love with people you don’t know and don’t see everyday,” Bell said, “And of course we related it to Jesus’ teachings about love.”

First Presbyterian preschooler Emmy Smith-Lyon said she decorated the Valentine’s Day card she made with a big gold heart.

And when the four-year-old was asked how it made her feel after handing it to a resident at the convalescent home she replied, “great.”

Five-year old Ellis Campbell said his favorite thing about visiting the nursing home was getting to sing for the residents.

“My favorite song was Skinnamarinky Dinky Do,” Campbell said.

Delivering Valentine’s Day cards and singing Monday was not the first occasion the pre-k and kindergarten classes have visited the Vicksburg Convalescent Home Bell said.

“We came here at Halloween and at Christmas, and we will be back at Easter,” she said.

The relationship between the convalescent home and the First Presbyterian pre-school has been positive, Bell said and gave credit to Deborah Hughes, who is the activities director at the facility, for initiating the connection.

“It has been very good for the residents,” Hughes said, with Bell saying it has also been good for the children.

And in an added effort to bring the young and elderly together, Bell said her classes like to choose a couple of songs to sing that they think the residents will also know so they can sing along with them.

“That’s the important part to me — to include everybody,” Bell said.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

More by Terri Cowart