By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

My memory of Valentine’s Day in elementary school is of brown paper lunch sacks adorned with the requisite paper doily and red construction paper heart — all neatly hung side by side under a long windowsill.

This memory inspired me to visit Helena Elementary School last Tuesday for an update on this sweet holiday.

Down the hall came Jan Hughey’s kindergarten class, all adorned with Love Bug headbands — each a construction paper confection with pipe cleaners for antennas — with one Love Bug tripping along in flashing-light tennis shoes.

Hughey herself sported a headband of twin purple hearts.

Her class celebrated the day beginning with heart-shaped donuts courtesy their teacher and moving on to ice cream sundaes and decorating their valentine bags with a self-portrait rendered in crayon.

Melissa Jarrell’s kindergarten class was in the midst of the excitement of opening their sack-boxes, each of which was topped with a photo reproduction of their face/head.

“They have all been so appreciative to one another,” Jarrell said. “Admiring each other’s cards and saying thank you without even being told. It thrills my heart.”

Anna Grace, in a pink dress with white polka-dots, sorted through her box and decided that she best liked Zachary’s valentine because it was a photograph of him with a sucker attached. She also liked the 3-D puppy valentine and the Pop Art candy ring treat.

Earlier the children had made a magnet to take home to their mothers, and this was A.J.’s favorite activity.

When others were asked about the best part of this Valentine’s school day, Hannah enthused about getting their photos taken; Reese was delighted with his candy; Auria loved decorating her box in her own special way.

Robbie brought Thomas the Train valentines for his friends; Emma and Grayson loved the surprise of peeking into their boxes; and Macy especially liked hearing Mrs. Jarrell read Junie B. Jones and the Mushy-Gushy Valentine.

Zach drawled, “It’s all about luuuvv.”

And Tripp agreed that it is all about love and thus important to watch out for Cupid and avoid his arrows.

Tripp B. creates an illustrated daily news update. He covers the weather, special events and sports.

He knows how to write Alabama vs Aub(urn) and the score he reported was 68 to 50 in Alabama’s favor. (Yes, this is just kindergarten.)

When I departed, everyone in the classroom was settling down to watch a movie, Clifford’s First Puppy Love.

Let me credit the title of this column to Brennen whose Love Is . . . definition was my favorite among others displayed in the HES hallway for February.

Laura Brookhart can be reached by email at labro16@yahoo.com.