News & Events

By Teresa Cleary
September 4th 2007

FOREST PARK--Military personnel from around the world will soon receive a "storm" of letters and artwork from students in Winton Woods schools thanks to the hard work of Winton Woods Primary School North staff member Karen Emmons. Emmons has started Operation Letter Storm as a service project throughout the district.

"Operation Letter Storm is the opportunity for all students in the Winton Woods City School District to write letters or create works of art to show our thanks and support to those who are currently serving in our military," said Emmons. Students are also invited to bring in photos of family and friends in the military. These photos will be put on special flags that will be created and displayed on a Yellow Ribbon Wall at each school in the district. Emmons said she expects the first group of flags to go up within the next two weeks.

Each school will also have a designated mailbox for students' letters and artwork, said Emmons. These will be mailed free, along with care packages from the Dayspring Church Yellow Ribbon Support Group and The Thank You Foundation, both of which are partnering with the district on this project. Special mailings are planned for Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and winter holidays, Valentine's Day and Memorial Day.

Winton Woods Elementary School (WWES) Principal Steve Denny offered his support of the project by immediately involving his staff and coming up with the Operation Letter Storm name. "Operation Letter Storm. Operation Desert Storm. We want the troops abroad to experience the support of a storm of letters from our kids and our community," said Denny.

During the first week of school, Emmons delivered military thank-you cards to the district's schools so students could begin writing to soldiers. Four thousand cards were donated by The Thank You Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to show appreciation and express gratitude for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces both past and present.

"In the district, I'm best identified as an Informational Media Assistant," said Emmons, "but there are two other titles that better define who I am: P.A.M.-Proud Army Mom and M.O.M.-Mother of the Military." Emmons's son Jesse joined the Army Reserves in 2006 through the Delayed Entry Program. After his graduation from Winton Woods High School in 2007, Jesse enlisted for eight years of active duty and is currently stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Denny also has personal reasons for his involvement in the project. "I have a soft-spot in my heart for veterans," said Denny, whose father fought in the Vietnam War. "My father and I have talked about how hard it was for him to come back home and experience the things he had to endure from his fellow citizens just because he happened to have fought in that war. He had trouble finding a job, getting an apartment and was even called cruel names because he returned from Vietnam. No soldier deserves to be treated like this. Operation Letter Storm is a chance to give back and make sure that no soldier serving in conflicts today ever needs to feel the way my father was made to feel."

For Denny's students at WWES, the letters will be incorporated into classroom instruction. "There are several state standards and grade-level indicators in third and fourth grade where writing a letter fits right in," said Denny. "So instead of kids writing a personal letter to their parent or to a pen pal, they can write one to a soldier. If parents give permission, this can be an ongoing thing if the soldier writes back."

Operation Letter Storm became important to Emmons during the summer of 2007 as she worked with a seventh grader who told her that many students don't stand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. "My heart sank when I thought of the men and women who are currently standing in harm's way so that people have the freedom to sit during the Pledge," said Emmons. "This struck me at the core of my being, as I come from a long history of military and now our youngest son has volunteered to serve his country."

When Emmons asked why students don't stand, the response was that students take so much for granted and don't really think about what the Pledge means. "I feel as though our mission today is to educate the next generation on the importance of supporting our military," said Emmons. "We must never forget that freedom is not free. Someone's husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, this very moment, just gave their life so that we can live in the land of the free and the home of the brave."

"My hope is that our citizen-soldiers feel a groundswell of support from our kids and our community," said Denny. "A project like this is an open-ended proposition-our kids will gain so much more than they give in reaching out to these troops. They can also practice their writing skills in a real and meaningful way."

Emmons is pleased at the response she's gotten so far to this new project. "From our Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe to our principals, teachers, staff, students and parents-everyone in the district has been supportive and deserves thanks."

Other annual tributes in the Winton Woods District to those serving in the military include September 11th Remembrance Day, a Veterans Day tribute held at Central Office, "Eat Lunch with a Hero" Day at WWES that honors veterans and is held in November, and the Hall of Heroes Open House that will be held on Saturday, December 1.

Operation Letter Storm supporters (l-r) Karen Emmons, informational media assistant at Winton Woods Primary North (WWPN); Steve Denny, principal at Winton Woods Elementary School; Marcia Iker of the Dayspring Yellow Ribbon Support Group and Winton Woods Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe stand by the Yellow Ribbon Wall at Winton Woods Primary School North.