‘Thank you’ sure means a lot.
And in the case of a huge and very creatively decorated thank you card that was delivered to Langley Advance this week, it served as an uplifting message for Advance publisher Lisa Farquharson and sales manager Peggy O’Brien.
The card expressed the gratitude of a group of Grade 5/6 students from North Otter Elementary.
“My immediate response when I received the card was, AWE. That is so sweet,” O’Brien said. “To read all the notes from the students just left me with goosebumps and their passion was heartfelt.”
These kids were part of this year’s Design An Ad program.
Each spring, the Advance teams up local businesses and organizations with some Grade 4 and 5 students in Langley, asking the kids to create newspaper advertisements for the annual Design An Ad publication.
It’s one of the most popular, participation-driven initiatives this community newspaper undertakes each year. This year’s Design An Ad edition was published on April 27.
The thank you card received today expressed some of the kids’ appreciation for being part of the program, while other kids in Ms. Tracy Dionne’s class were thankful for the $50 honorarium paid to each participating class. Their money, it appears, was spent on a potluck, pizza, and movie session.
“Thank you sooo much for the money and letting us design the adds (sic) for the newspaper. It was super, super fun and a great way for us to get creative,” wrote Abigale.
Jenna added: “Thanks for the money and letting us participate.”
“I had a lot of fun,” scribed Kylie. Several other students just said “thanks” and demonstrated their creative side again by drawing hearts, balloons, clouds, cats, bunnies, kids, dogs, and other fun art to further signify their appreciation.
“I am so happy to see that the students enjoyed being creative as much as we enjoyed reading them,” O’Brien said. “Thank you North Otter Elementry for your kind words and we look forward to working with you next year.”
“It’s a really exciting community project… It’s one that the teachers, the kids, and the businesses embrace,” O’Brien added, noting there were 14 classes from 10 schools involved – more than ever before.
Weeks ahead of publication, members of O’Brien’s team visit the classrooms, give the kids a bit of information about their task, and then challenges them to create effective and meaningful advertisements for their chosen business.
“It’s not just that they get to draw, which most children love to do. But they get to be very creative and get the chance to possibly be published, and that’s a big deal,” O’Brien said.
It’s a chance for creative children to receive recognition, not only with their classroom photos in the special section, but to potentially see their art in print, she said.
The businesses are then given a series of child-designed ads from which to choose.
“It is always a challenge for the local advertisers to pick just one, as they are all great,” O’Brien said.
“There was some exceptional art,” this year, she added, noting it’s some of the best she’s seen in the project’s six-year history.
While there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into producing this annual program, O’Brien said receiving cards like this, and expressions of thanks from the kids and businesses/organizations involved makes it all worthwhile.
