Plainville Third Graders bring back a special Valentine’s Day tradition

A longtime Plainville tradition has been brought back to life this Valentine’s Day, thanks to the creativity of local third graders and the generosity of area sponsors.

In this week’s Sentinel-TImes, Plainville third-grade students drew Valentine’s Day pictures that appear in special sponsored ads throughout this issue. Pictures of the artists are also included below the artwork. Years ago, this same idea was a beloved feature of the Plainville Times, and it is now being revived for a new generation of students and readers.

A similar tradition has continued for many years in Stockton, where third graders create Thanksgiving-themed drawings showing what they are thankful for, with local businesses sponsoring those ads. We hope to expand these student art promotions in 2026 to include Sacred Heart third graders as well as Damar third graders during the upcoming holidays.

Of course, none of this is possible without the combined efforts of many people. These projects depend on businesses and individuals willing to sponsor the artwork, and on the schools, teachers, and students who generously take time out of their busy schedules to participate. As with so many good things in our communities, it truly takes teamwork to bring these promotions to life.

We encourage everyone to take a moment to notice the businesses that sponsored this year’s Valentine drawings and to thank them for supporting local students and community activities. This year’s sponsors are: Astra Bank, Staabco Chemicals Inc., Polymer Technologies LLC, Steve’s Electric & Roustabout, LLC, Prairie Heritage Auction & Real Estate, BP-Textiles LLC, Rooks County Health Center, Tyler’s Automotive, Stahl Products LLC, S & W Supply, The First State Bank — Plainville, Mr. K’s Foodtown, Cardinal Drive-In, New York Life Insurance Co., Justin Casey, Agent, American Family Insurance, Two Fourteen, Plainville Short Stop, Ruder Oil Co., City of Plainville, Midwest Family Health of Plainville, Pizza Hut of Plainville, Eclips Salon & Spa, Paradise Flats Gifts & Florals, Daniel J. Sanchez, MD, PA, and the Sentinel-Times.

Their support helps celebrate our students’ creativity while strengthening the connection between our schools, our businesses, and the communities they serve.

This year’s third-grade artists are: students of Shania Hamel—Cailyn Anderson, Carsen Balthazor, Adalyn Burns, Dax Claridge, Eldon Jones, Thane Nelson, Henry Rinehart, Kinsley Rudman, Zoey Seitz, and Lucas Snyder; students of Tricia Hemphill— Bridgette Axelson, Piper Beesely, Jase Brin, Ainsley Eickhoff, Genesis Froggatte, Ivan Mabb, Xander Makings, Caden McDowell, Ryder Petersen, Karalina Reif, Mason Schlegel, Baylor Simoneau, and Nicolet Sneath.