All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Hearts Around the World is a ‘huge success’ at Hodgesville Elementary School

HES students received cards from 48 of the 50 states. / Photo courtesy of Janet Phillips

Editor’s note: The following is an update provided by Hodgesville Elementary School Principal Janet Phillips.

HODGESVILLE — Hearts Around the World has been a huge success at Hodgesville Elementary School. At the beginning of February, we advertised on Facebook asking family and friends to send our students a valentine from their state. As of today, we have received 271 valentines from 48 of the 50 states, Washington DC, Canada, and Germany. We are missing Oklahoma and North Dakota but have received information that cards are in the mail from those states. We also have insight into a card coming from Greece. We received 26 cards from Florida with Ohio close behind with 22 cards. We have received multiple cards from most states.

When the valentines started arriving — stacks of them each day —- they were divided up between classes for the students to open. Each classroom teacher used them in different ways for engaging learning. The kindergarteners can now immediately identify WV on a US map. They have also determined whether it would be better to fly or drive to the destination of each card. Fourth graders have been tracking the cards on their own maps as compared to their travels. Also, Mrs. Anderson has used the cards to help students learn about addressing envelopes and which is the return address and mailing address. Each classroom has been excited to see the daily delivery of valentines.

A bulletin board was dedicated for displaying the valentines. After two days, it was full, and the display expanded onto the surrounding wall. A map is displayed showing the states represented.

The map of valentines received. / Photo courtesy Janet Phillips

It has been amazing seeing the involvement of the Upshur County community. There have been so many shares of the request by former students and parents, as well as complete strangers. Rebecca Dunlap, and employee at St. Gobain / Corhart, has been very involved. She checked daily to see which states we needed and was able to reach out to branches of the company worldwide. Even the Mayor of Huntington, WV sent us a card.

One card was from an individual who attended Hodgesville Elementary School in the 1960’s. He shared information about the “old” school and how he attended there, but older students were in the new building. A lady from Louisiana told the kids about the 25-mile Pontchartrain Bridge she crossed to buy their card and sent a picture. We also received potato memorabilia from Idaho. A graduate of BUHS who now teaches at Purdue University sent us a card.

This has been a heartwarming activity in the middle of a pandemic. While we are striving to maintain some normalcy for our students, this was the icing on the cake. To see the number of people around the world who care enough to send a card to an elementary school in rural West Virginia brings tears to your eyes. Thank you to our wonderful community for spreading the word and helping bring smiles to both the students and staff!

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

Roscoe H. Bennett

Roscoe H. Bennett, 90, a Navy veteran, retired coal miner, and dedicated family man from Buckhannon, passed away May 16, 2025, survived by his wife, six children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

City of Buckhannon Calendar: May 19-25, 2025

Buckhannon city officials announced upcoming public meetings, schedule changes for waste collection due to Memorial Day, ongoing recycling and yard waste pickups, and opportunities to submit bids for yard reclamation, construction, and paving services.
WVWC Track - Wesleyan Sports

Six Wesleyan track and field performers earn All-Region honors

Six West Virginia Wesleyan student-athletes earned All-Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for their standout performances ahead of the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Upshur County Sports Calendar

The only scheduled Upshur County sports events this week are the Buckhannon-Upshur boys and girls track and field teams competing in the West Virginia State Championships in Charleston on Friday and Saturday.

Carlyle, Waggy and boy’s 4×800-meter relay team qualify for state meet

Buckhannon-Upshur’s Rylen Carlyle, Jack Waggy, and the boys’ 4×800-meter relay team qualified for the state track championships following strong performances at the Region I meet in Morgantown.
LUCAS Truck

LUCAS to offer lung cancer screening in Glenville and Buckhannon

LUCAS, a mobile lung cancer screening unit from WVU Medicine and the WVU Cancer Institute, will provide low-dose CT scans in Glenville and Buckhannon in June, offering accessible lung cancer screening to eligible patients.

Spring Sunshine: Warm up with these delightfully playful reads, ready for your next picnic or beach vacation

My Buckhannon recommends two playful romantic comedies — “A Tail as Old as Time” and “The Unhoneymooners” — as perfect, lighthearted reads to enjoy during your next picnic, park visit, or beach getaway.

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for May 18, 2025

Sunset Berry Farm swept top honors at the 2025 West Virginia Strawberry Festival, while Buckhannon-Upshur High School wrapped up the school year with a student screen printing workshop led by a WV Wesleyan instructor.

John Joseph Zara

John Joseph Zara, 84, a former resident of Century, WV and retired Braniff International and FedEx employee, passed away peacefully in Texas and will be remembered at a memorial Mass and graveside service in West Virginia.

Buckhannon-Upshur High School’s Coleton Payne receives honorary state FFA degree at state convention

Coleton Payne, FFA advisor at Buckhannon-Upshur High School, received the highest honor from the West Virginia FFA Association for his outstanding service and dedication to agricultural education and student success.

City Council proposes third reading of ordinance to rezone a handful of single-family lots to highway commercial

The Buckhannon City Council will hold the third reading of Ordinance No. 473, proposing the rezoning of several single-family residential lots to highway commercial, at its July 3, 2025 meeting.

Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board Agenda: May 22, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board has released the agenda for its upcoming May 22 meeting.