Park Elementary School students picked up pencils, crayons, and markers the morning of Nov. 4 to send a message of care and comfort across their community.
Following recent flooding across La Plata County, students used their morning Crew advisory period to reflect on community resilience and craft personalized encouragement cards and thank-you notes for local first responders and impacted residents.
A Park Elementary School student adds thoughtful messages and colorful illustrations to a card destined for first responders on Nov. 4.
The special lesson centered on a clear theme: Small actions can create meaningful change. During the morning discussions, classrooms explored what makes a community strong — emphasizing that true leadership comes from noticing when someone needs support, stepping up to take action, and working together to weather difficult times.
"As we navigate the recent flooding in La Plata County, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that this has been a lot for our community, and many of our students and families may be impacted in different ways," said Park Elementary School Principal Marie Voss-Patterson. "The most important thing we can do right now is provide a safe place for our students — a place where they feel supported, cared for, and loved."
Students took that sense of care and channeled it into their writing, filling blank pages with colorful drawings and uplifting phrases such as, "You are not alone," "Durango Strong," and "Thank you for helping our community."
Students at Park Elementary School design personalized encouragement cards and thank-you notes on the morning of Nov 4 to support local first responders and community members affected by recent flooding in La Plata County.
Staff will gather all of the completed cards and deliver them directly to the City of Durango to distribute to emergency personnel, as well as to community members affected by the recent floods.
Providing time for students to process community events while maintaining regular school routines helps children feel anchored, Voss-Patterson noted.
"School is a place of consistency and normalcy when things around us feel uncertain," she said. "The little things we do to make students feel safe, seen, and loved matter more than ever."
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| A Park Elementary School kindergartener illustrated an excavator repairing road damage caused by local flooding on Nov. 4, explaining, "It's them on the excavator. They're fixing holes in the road." |
A Park Elementary School student pauses to brainstorm while writing a note to flood-impacted residents on Nov. 4.
A heartfelt letter handwritten by Park Elementary School student Levi Knapp reminds flood-impacted neighbors to stay positive and safe as the Durango community recovers together.
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| Park Elementary School students focus intently on crafting handwritten cards filled with words of comfort and support during morning Crew on Nov. 4. |
A handmade card created by a Park Elementary School student pairs colorful drawings of native flora with warm affirmations reminding community members that they are not alone.
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School Storytellers: Thank you to Park Elementary School Principal Marie Voss-Patterson for sharing this story tip and accompanying photos.
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