Taken from the Springfield, MA Newspaper:

Student quilts offer hope to sick children

Harris Elementary School students in every grade level spent the school year turning their lessons into art of the warm and fuzzy kind.

At least one class in every grade, preschool through fifth, was given fabric, markers and the task of turning one of their lessons into a design for quilts to give to the children of the Springfield Shriners Hospital. The end result, eight colorful masterpieces, far exceeded everyone's expectations.

" They all focused on what they were studying at the time and they were all so different; all in all it was an enriching experience," parent Susan Major said. Major, a volunteer at the school that three of her children attended this year, spent about 100 hours sewing the quilts together and finishing the projects.

When first-grade teacher Marilyn Cowles suggested the project at a school meeting, Major said she was happy to dedicate her 10 years of quilting experience to the cause.

What started as an effort to incorporate the community service portion of the Step Up Springfield campaign in classrooms went so well that staff is planning to expand the project next year.

" This attaches them to other children in the community and enriches their learning because they're teaching and telling their lessons to others," Principal Deborah Lantaigne explained. "Not only do they learn the skill but they're learning how to use them."

Each class wrote fabric letter inside of a fabric envelope attached to the back of their quilt. Fun facts about the book they read to inspire the design are written in the letter along with words of hope.

One group of students, who created a blanket covered with owls, ended their letter with kindness and encouragement.

" We hope you enjoy the quilt and remember that owls have the courage to survive even when things become hard. Owls have taught us that you should never give up even when the going is rough! Your New Friends, Fifth Grade, Room 207."

A few children were allowed to represent their classrooms when the gifts were presented at the hospital to Bernadette A. White, public relations director, and Charles Weaver, chairman of the board of directors. Soon the quilts will be comforting children before surgery.

" You'd never believe these (quilts) were made by children," White said.

" To know that a group of children dedicated their time to make these, it just means so much to them."