It is December!

It is that time of year again! December...we are always reminded about how many days are left until Christmas. Will we ever accomplish our "To Do" list? At school, we operate daily with our list of things needed to be done. In Ms. Mazzeo's fourth grade class we have written letters to my friend, Major Grovsnor, serving our country in Afghanistan. Several years ago our students wrote to her when she was serving in Iraq. Upon her return, she visited our third and fourth grade classes. It was truly a wonderful experience for students and teachers. She told us first hand about daily life as a soldier. She has made the Army her career. I admire her greatly for her bravery, courage and committment to the USA.
I shared Major Grosvenor's pictures from Iraq with our current fourth grade students. I still get goosebumps seeing our soldiers standing with the American flag atop the enemy palace in Baghdad. They asked me many questions about her, and then someone said "Can we write to her?" It is very difficult for students to understand life as a soldier, but they are interested. Their letters will be sent at the end of this week, with bags of Christmas candy and cookies donated by students and teachers. We hope to hear back from her in the near future.
The most important lesson students learned from this opportunity was to think of others this holiday season, especially those serving in the US military who will not be "home for the holidays". I hope you all have an opportunity to share your blessings with others during December. I love sharing the classroom every day with our Oxford students.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays