White Oak third-graders write to soldiers

By Stephanie Bertholdo Acorn Staff Writer

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn AMERICAN SOLDIERS: 'YOU'VE GOT MAIL'-Students in Heather Holden's third-grade class at White Oak Elementary School hold up letters they wrote to servicemen and women in Iraq.

Students in Heather Holden’s third-grade class at White Oak Elementary School in Westlake Village recently wrote letters to soldiers serving in Iraq.

Holden, a teacher for 26 years, said she’s never been so moved by her students’ reaction to an assignment. "It was the way they read them, shared them and listened to each other," she said. "It was as if that person was there in front of them."

The idea to write to servicemen and women sprang from a letter that White Oak received from the U.S. Department of the Interior. It requested that the school adopt two divisions, the "Polar Bears," a mountain squad, and the airborne division (named the "Screaming Eagles").

The student responses were exceptional.

Stephanie Griffith wrote, "I am very sorry for you because you are in war. You must be very brave to do that. You are doing something that won’t just help you, it will help everyone that’s in this mess."

Zach Kaplan wrote, "How did you get so brave? Is it hard to be in the war in the Middle East? For example, where do you sleep? Another question that I have is how do you find the bad guys?"

"Dear Soldier, I hope you are well," wrote Natalie Olson. "If not, I may cry. Too many soldiers are either ill or dead. . . . Capturing Saddam must have been a great accomplishment, but the war isn’t over yet, is it?"

Kyle Cheves drew a picture of a soldier landing on a mountain and saving a child. He shared information about his family and his love of sports. He asked, "Do you miss your home?"

"Hi! My name is Sydnee Stubbs. I’m 9 years old and 4 feet and 10 inches. I bet your family and friends miss you a lot, but I bet your Mom and Dad miss you the most."

Each letter was embellished with student art and most students asked that the soldiers write back. Many youngsters expressed wishes for their quick return and some said that they prayed for their safety each night.

Holden said that if the class just received one reply, the entire class would celebrate. "This was a neat lesson about giving," she said. "We want to create citizens. It’s their country, too."

Holden said she was impressed by her students’ warm letters.

"It’s a forever memory for me—a Tiffany silver box memory."