Students at Carl A. Furr Elementary School recently finished their work on clay pinch-pot hearts to give to staff and patients at Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County.
This was the second time students from the school donated artwork as a way to give back to Hospice in memory of Joni McGraw, a fifth-grade teacher at Furr who died in 2009.
Students had made clay ornaments to donate to Hospice’s Light Up A Life fundraiser in November 2010.
James McGraw, Joni’s husband, said he was approached about a year later by a teacher, Rebekah Allen, who asked if there would be another project. Allen suggested doing a project for Valentine’s Day, McGraw said.
When McGraw talked to art teacher Kathy Braswell about it, they came up with the idea for students to make clay pinch-pot hearts.
Braswell said she never thought twice about whether the school should participate in another project.
“It’s good for community relations, and we can honor someone who was part of our school family,” Braswell said.
Once the students became involved, Braswell said a lot of them remembered making the ornaments, and they were happy to make projects for Hospice again.
The first-, second- and third-graders made the hearts, in addition to Allen’s fourth-grade class, which McGraw’s daughter, Carolann, is in.
Carolann said she felt the students in her class were excited about participating in the project, and she was glad the school was helping to make a difference.
“It helps us learn how to take care of our community and people who need us more,” Carolann said.
She and her father rolled out balls of clay for the students to then shape the pinch-pot hearts.
Once they were heated and hardened, the students painted the hearts with glittery paint in red, pink, purple and blue.
Third-grader Alleigh Leslie said she had missed the day when her class painted their hearts and someone had painted one for her. Fortunately, she was able to paint one later.
“I was disappointed because I wanted it to be from me,” Leslie said. “It makes people’s day, and I wanted to do it because my great-grandmother just died so I’ve been thinking all about this.”
Hers was one of between 300 and 400 hearts that the students made, which were put in bags with cards that said, “Handmade by a Carl A. Furr Elementary student.”
Some of those bags were delivered on Thursday during a staff meeting at Hospice.
“Our entire staff was genuinely moved,” said Glenn Love, development manager for Hospice. “There were tears shed, and we all stood and applauded at the end. It was one of the most touching things anyone has ever done for our entire staff.”
McGraw said he was glad the staff appreciated the clay hearts.
“They were overwhelmed, which is what I was pushing for,” McGraw said.
He said the project was a way to thank Hospice for helping him and his daughter after his wife passed away.
“I can’t say enough thank yous to even it out,” McGraw said. “From August until May, (Joni’s) class was her world. For the kids to actually do this just falls right in line with the way she was. For me, it becomes long hours of rolling out clay. From Joni’s point of view, it would be fantastic (that the kids) are doing what they’re doing.”
There will be another presentation of the clay hearts during the school’s Parent Teacher Organization meeting on Feb. 23.
Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152
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