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It’s almost that time of year again at Bellwood-Antis: Valentine’s Day! Because we are no longer in the elementary school, we no longer have a traditional Valentine’s Day party. In the middle school, students can buy Flowergrams to give to a friend. Flowergrams are flowers that are color coded for different meanings, like love, secret admirer, crush, etc. Purchasers of the Flowergrams can then add a personalized message attached to the flower.

This year, Flowergrams cost $2 to purchase and will be delivered to students during their lunch period on February 14. Students’ names are called out during their lunch period over a speaker to come forward and receive the flowers that were purchased for them. Although purchasing a Flowergram might be a good way to get in the spirit for Valentine’s Day, Flowergrams have repeatedly hurt kids’ feelings and have made them feel left out year after year.

Just think about it: One kid gets called to pick up their flowers ten times, while other studnets get just one or maybe none. Even though Flowergrams are a great way to show your friendship to another student, I think the policy in elementary school was much more fair and less likely to start drama. The policy was “Either everyone gets a Valentine, or no one gets a Valentine.” This eliminated any conflict that could have been caused by only select students receiving Valentines.

In my opinion, Flowergrams also seem a little inappropriate for 5th graders to receive. Do you really want a 5th grade student receiving a “crush” flower or a “love” flower from another student?

Flowergrams can be good. They let your friends know you care about them. However, the process of purchasing them is not totally fair to other students and could lead to hurt feelings.

Will you be purchasing Flowergrams this year?