Valentines To Our Troops

To the Editor:

This past week, Newtown students mailed about 2,500 St Valentine’s cards and letters to our military men and women overseas!

It is truly amazing when you think that this project began in December 2005 as the idea of one second grade teacher and has literally exploded over the past four years.

It is with admiration that I thank our Principals Donna Pagé and Donna Denniston, Vice Principals Barbara Gasparine and Dr Anthony Salvatore, and all the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary and Reed Intermediate. Without their support and commitment to this project, none of this could have happened.

Reed Intermediate School students enthusiastically wrote over 1,500 letters! In addition, our troops are being treated to a special gift. Our 6th Grade Chorus director, Michelle Tenenbaum, and her All Volunteer Chorus have cut a CD of songs and every unit that we wrote to will receive at least one copy!

I want to thank Miranda Pacchiana, who coordinated Sandy Hook School, and all her volunteers who proofread and packed all the letters. She chaired an entire school and mailed about 500 letters.

I want to thank Anna Wiedemann, Laurie Borst, Karen Grosso, and all the countless volunteers who gave of themselves tirelessly over the Christmas holiday and during the month of January to help pull this project together. Many thanks to the PTA from both Sandy Hook and Reed that generously paid the postage for all the letters and boxes.

In addition, nine Newtown Girl Scout Groups participated. They are Daisy Troop 50166; Brownie Troops 50113, 50595, 50174, 50335; Girl Scouts 50512, 50611, 355, and 796. Also participating are the Respect, Responsibility and Diversity Club at Middle Gate School and Boy Scout Troop 270. Newtown Middle School Student Council and InterAct Club also sent letters to our men and women overseas. Together they have sent about 500 letters!

Our principals, teachers, group leaders, and parents are living examples to our children of what it means to be caring and compassionate. They are all role models of good citizenship for our young people.

Newtown can be proud of the efforts of our children and the leadership of our adults. Our town shows how older generations teach the younger and how together, we all pledge support to our sons and daughters who serve and protect us so far from home.

I am honored to be a part of this most worthy project. I hope we will continue this outreach, year after year, until all our troops are home.

If you would like to participate in next year’s effort, which will begin in September this year, please contact me at ndrandle@charter.net or at 203-364-9772.

Donna Monteleone Randle

St Valentines Day Project Chairperson

Former US Army Captain, Signal Corps

4 Erin Lane, Sandy Hook                                           January 28, 2009