Published: April 23, 2008 03:20 pm            

Support troops

DUNCAN — About 75 second-grade students found a way to show their support for troops overseas.

Last week, the favor was returned.

During the Christmas season, the second-graders at Woodrow Wilson Elementary sent letters to Maj. Samuel Chisholm and the 20th Engineer Brigade Combat Airborne.

In response, the brigade sent a plaque to recognize the second-grade students. Linda Thompson, second-grade teacher, said the students earned this recognition because of the work they put into the letters.

“They worked really hard,” Thompson said. “It was a way to say thank you.”

Thompson, Deanna Myers and Janice Willhite’s students wrote several letters each to the troops in Chisholm’s battalion. There are about 2,500 soldiers in the group.

Chisholm’s name was provided to the classes by Woodrow Wilson teaching assistant Betty Greer.

Students spent about two weeks working on the letters.

The teachers used the opportunity to teach the children about what it means to fight overseas and the struggles, including not seeing family for long periods of time, the soldiers face.

Myers said the students also learned about why the soldiers are fighting in the war.

“They learned about selflessness and compassion,” she said.

Willhite said the letters also gave students a chance to cheer up someone they didn’t know.

Another thing they were taught about was the importance of the American flag. Thompson said the brigade members had planned to give the second-graders a combat flag, but were unable to do so. Instead, they sent the plaque.

She said several of the students had a special connection to the project because they have parents in the military. She said some of those students requested to do more than just two or three letters, opting to do about five.

Thompson said she was impressed with the amount of work the students put into the project and the their desire to increase their workload.

“They worked really hard,” she said. “They wanted to do more.”

She said the project benefited everyone involved. The soldiers got to hear from their young supporters. And for the children, writing the letters was a learning experience.

“We stressed with them it’s not important whether you support the war,” Thompson said. “It’s important to support our troops.

“They were all for it. We had lots of parental support.”

        

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