From the mouths of babes come words of comfort and friendship.
One Wayne County elementary sent cheerful messages to a neighboring school after recent flooding.
Students from preschool through sixth grade at Hagerstown Elementary School wrote notes to their peers at Western Wayne Elementary School in Cambridge City to let them know they were in their thoughts.
WWES Principal Elizabeth Miller said the Hagerstown students showed “immense love through a simple, beautiful gesture.”
“Seeing this level of empathy offered to our students, whether personally impacted by the flood or not, was profoundly heartening,” Miller said.
Miller, a former HES teacher, said she’s deeply proud to be a part of the broader Wayne County community “where neighbors look out for one another with such genuine warmth, empathy and heart.”
Belinda Locke, HES principal, said sending their greetings was a meaningful experience for her students.
“They enjoyed creating the ‘Thinking of You’ cards and were excited to know that something they made could brighten another student’s day during a difficult time,” Locke said. “It helped them understand the importance of empathy, kindness and supporting our neighbors — even when they may not know them personally.”
In their words
Hagerstown Elementary School Principal Belinda Locke gathered comments from some of Katlynn Smith’s kindergarten students about why they made cards for Western Wayne Elementary School:
River: “Making them cards helped them feel happy because after the flood, some people lost everything, like their clothes and toys.”
Charlie: “The flood made a lot of people really sad, and making them cards could help them feel a little bit happier.”
Hailey: “It was important that we made them cards because they don’t have some of their things anymore.”
Michael: “It was important to make the cards because they can look at them and feel happy.”
Sofia: “We made them cards because we love them. It was a kind thing to do.”
Cecelia: “Their houses got destroyed, and the cards were something nice that they could look at and help them feel better.”
A version of this article appeared in the September 2 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
