Heard at Hillside Christian School as students return from lunch recess for story time:

Student 1: “Why is there blank paper on our desks?”

Student 2: “Did Mrs. Marsh really say to take out our markers and crayons?  We don’t usually get to color during story time.”

Student 3: “Shhh! She’s telling us now.”

Mrs. Marsh: “As you know, the Coronavirus is spreading rapidly in our community and many people are sick and in the hospital. Can you imagine what it would be like to be a healthcare worker?” 

Student 4: “It would be scary to be around so many people that definitely have COVID.”

Student 5: “It would be sad to be around so many people suffering and dying.”

Student 6: “It would be exhausting to have so much extra work to do.”

Mrs. Marsh: “You’re right, healthcare workers are physically exhausted having to take care of so many patients and they are mentally exhausted from being exposed to the virus and from seeing so many suffer and die. Healthcare workers could use our encouragement.”

Student 3 “How can we encourage them? We can’t go to them. The hospital wouldn’t let us in.”

Mrs. Marsh: “You’re right, we can’t go to their workplace to encourage them, but I received an email from the hospital saying we can make or buy cards and drop them off at entrance A of the hospital. While I read today’s chapter, use the paper I’ve given you, and your crayons and markers, to create a card to encourage our healthcare workers. Having words of encouragement when the days seem dark, long, and never-ending could make all the difference.”

Student 1: “This is gonna be great!  Let’s go…”

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”  Proverbs 25:11

By Jody Marsh, (husband of Mrs. Charlyn Marsh, Head Teacher at Hillside Christian School)