HEBRON – It was a sea of pink and red Thursday at the Hebron Elementary School as students competed for an extra recess.

The students were treated to a special Valentine’s Day lunch with their tables decorated brightly with red tablecloths and decorations. Lunch was pasta, meatballs and salad, but dessert was trays of homemade valentine cookies, cake and other baked goods.

School officials say the idea was to get as many children as possible to dress in pink and red. The grade wearing the most Valentine’s Day colors would earn an extra recess.

The fifth-graders earned that honor.

While the day meant a chance to eat some great treats, the true meaning of the day was not lost on all fifth-grade students. When students were asked if they had a special valentine at home, the response was varied.

“Right now it’s my grandmother,” said Drew MacDonald as he ate some colorful sherbet and grabbed his face in what he called “brain freeze” from the cold treat.

Other students said they all gave Valentine’s Day cards to classmates. When asked if they had a special valentine, Kyle Maxim, Zak Nelson and Howie Washburn said, one after the other, “No,” “no,” “no.”

“I have a sister-in-law … that’s all,” said Maxim after reflecting on the question for a moment.