Cyndi Loza

Hold off on those Valentine’s Day cards as some local schools will not be celebrating the day of love Thursday.

Mount Rose Elementary School will be replacing Valentine’s Day with “Friendship Day.” Classrooms will be holding parties but students are not allowed to exchange cards.

School district spokesman Steve Mulvenon said this is not a district wide policy but rather the decision falls on the principals and staff in each school.

“It’s entirely up to them if they choose to deal with Valentine’s Day or not,” Mulvenon said.

Though he does not speak for the school, Mulvenon said Valentine’s Day cards can cause problems. He said he has found that some students end up feeling hurt because they may not have received a card or gotten too few.

Mavis Leathley, the principal of Desert Heights Elementary School, said she could not think of any reason why a school would not celebrate the day of love.

“On Valentine’s Day we foster that children be kind to each other and learn how to continue to treat each other respectfully,” Leathley said.

She said the school tries to celebrate the holiday to promote social skills, respect, tolerance and an understanding of others.

“We do it every day of the year but it’s just another day to tie this in,” Leathley said.