As many of you I'm sure can relate, The news of Sandy Hook elementary school has weighed heavy on our hearts these past few weeks. It could be that we have 2 kids of our own, or just that heartbreaking feeling for the families that lost a child or that were affected. The weekend after that Friday, me and Mike - as well as the rest of the nation - talked about the tragedy. I remember one of the things we talked about is that we felt so far away and we just wished we could help more. Mike read that Sandy Hook PTA wanted to make a winter wonderland for the students returning to school in January and they were requesting help in making snowflakes for this cause. We decided to have the boys help us decorate some snowflakes to mail. We of course didn't explain to the kids what they were for, just that some other kids were going back to school in January and we were helping them decorate and doing something nice for someone we don't know. The kids had fun coloring the snowflakes, and I think it made me and Mike feel atleast a little more connected that we were trying to help in some way. Below are some pictures of us making the snowflakes and an update from Sandy Hook Elementary on the winter wonderland and other things you can do yourself to help.
A Message from the PTA of Sandy Hook Elementary School
On
behalf of the Sandy Hook Elementary School PTA, we would like to thank
everyone for their contributions of snowflakes. These wonderfully
artistic and heartfelt creations will be used to decorate the halls of
Sandy Hook School at Chalk Hill, as well as other community locations
around Newtown.
For those of you who would like to do more to
honor the memory of our students and staff, we encourage schools to
consider adopting Sandy Hook Elementary School's Project Eagle community
service effort and adapting it locally.
Project Eagle is a
group that was formed in 2011 under the direction of Principal Dawn
Hochsprung. The intent was, and continues to be, finding ways for our
elementary school students to engage in service efforts that help those
in need, especially children.
Together, this group of students
and parents has embraced initiatives including a book drive to replenish
classroom shelves, the creation of original works of art for the
children's wing of a local hospital, Earth Day recycling drives, a Lego
collection for a family counseling center, a concert for residents of a
senior center, holiday gifts for a local women's shelter, and a pajama
drive for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
You can read more about Project Eagle on the Sandy Hook Elementary School web site.
http://newtown.sandyhook.schooldesk.net/Parents/PTA/ProjectEagle/tabid/15841/Default.aspx
