Students at Catawba Elementary School packed up boxes filled with toothbrushes, hand sanitizers, snacks and other goodies on Tuesday with plans for them to go to troops serving overseas. The boxes should get to them around Christmas.
"We started this at my daughter's daycare, but we didn't have enough people," said Mandy Shelton, the mother of a kindergartner at Catawba Elementary. "I asked Mrs. Burkett (teacher) if we could do it here. The principal liked it and thought the whole school could do it."
Each of the 27 homerooms at the school was responsible for filling a box full of goodies that will go to someone in the military, said Connie Burkett, a kindergarten teacher. A letter went home with each student about two-and-a-half weeks ago, explaining the project and asking for parents to donate something to go in the box, or money to ship the box. Shipping costs about $12 per box. Most of the boxes are going to Iraq or Afghanistan.
"Some students have parents or siblings that are overseas, so if someone in that homeroom knew someone who's deployed, the box in their homeroom would go to them," Burkett said.
The remaining homerooms boxes will go to other deployed servicemen from Catawba County or the surrounding area that someone with ties to the school knows.
"We got names from people in the community. We asked people if they knew someone who was currently serving," Shelton said.
Shelton has a cousin, Stephen Saine, who is stationed on a ship overseas. Her son's class will be sending their box to him.
"He said that some people don't get anything," she said.
When she heard that, Shelton said she wanted to send goodies to all the soldiers from the area.
The boxes were packed with Crystal Light packets, Goldfish crackers, hard candy, toothpaste and toothbrushes, applesauce, canned goods, cookies, hand sanitizer and snack bars. The boxes also have cards for the soldiers that the students drew.
"I think they'll like the applesauce the best," said Jordan Wright, 5.
Wright, a kindergartner, said she enjoyed the project.
"I liked helping the soldiers," she said.
Wright said she drew a soldier on her card.
Itali Flowers, 9, said she liked making her card.
"I wrote on it 'have a jolly Christmas,'" she said.
Burkett said Catawba Elementary focuses on a different character trait each month. When the students started this project, they were focusing on kindness.
"I think this really helped them learn it, and I think the children enjoyed helping," she said. "I'd like to do this again."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement