Newtown students participated in this year's Valentines For Troops effort, writing letters and sending out boxes just before February 14.

Each year, the Valentines For Troops program sends letters and care packages to deployed personnel. Letters written by local students and other participants are later proofread and packed with care packages for shipment overseas, to places like Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, and ships at sea.

Sandy Hook Elementary School students helped decorate boxes on Thursday, February 11.

Students from all grade levels at the school participated in writing cards and letters, which were included in the boxes along with donations from school parents such as lip balm, tissues, candy, deodorant, toothpaste, throat lozenges and more, according to PTA Valentines For Troops Co-Chairs Barb Sibley and Karyn Holden.

Sandy Hook School PTA Valentines For Troops committee members had already made efforts to pack the letters and donations together into the boxes before students Nichole Tabor, Allison Holden, Matthew Holden, Jules Battaglia, Joseph Soriano, Collin Whitmore, Norah Whitmore, Ciara Whitmore, Andrew Stango, Stephen Sibley, and Brian Sibley volunteered at the end of the day on Thursday to help decorate the boxes with stickers and drawings.

Newtown Postmaster Kathy Zieff and post office workers Jerry Sousa and Katie Zielinski picked up the decorated boxes for delivery once the students were done.

Hawley Elementary School students worked throughout the week to create cards and letters for the effort. First grade students in Jennifer Pirone's first grade class worked with third grade students in Tracy Galassi's class on Friday, February 12, to write letters. The teachers explained the students were working with their book buddies for the exercise.

"Thank you for protecting our country," one student wrote, while another Hawley student wrote, "Thank you for saving our lives."

Valentines For Troops Chairperson Donna Monteleone Randle said on Monday, February 15, along with the Sandy Hook School and Hawley students, students from Head O' Meadow, Reed Intermediate School, Newtown Middle School, and Newtown High School wrote letters this year. Daniels Farm School in Trumbull also had students participate in the effort, and Newtown groups, including like Families United in Newtown (FUN) also helped write letters.

All of this year's Valentines For Troops packages will be sent to a Connecticut Army National Guard Unit in Kuwait, according to Ms Randle, who also noted this is the 11th year of the Valentines For Troops program.