Kindergartener
students
at
Buckland
Mills
Elementary
School
have
been
learning
about
the
many
types
of
helpers
in
their
community
and
the
importance
of
showing
gratitude
for
their
work.
While
exploring
the
subject,
students
demonstrated
a
deep
interest
in
how
members
of
the
military
serve
their
country
and
community.
This
gave
Gwendolen
Pirisino,
a
kindergarten
teacher
at
Buckland
Mills
Elementary,
an
idea.
Pirisino
developed
a
project,
with
the
help
of
Amy
Hardt,
International
Baccalaureate
coordinator,
where
students
could
explore
ways
to
show
their
appreciation,
while
learning
first-hand
about
the
impact
these
helpers
have
on
the
local
and
global
community.
Pirisino's
class
was
introduced
to
Principal
Kelle
Stroud's
husband,
retired
Major
Andre
Stroud,
their
son
Andre,
an
Airforce
ROTC
Cadet,
and
daughter
Lauren,
an
Airforce
1st
Lieutenant.
Students
went
to
work
writing
letters
and
drawing
pictures
for
Lauren
and
her
unit
stationed
in
Qatar.
The
school
engaged
the
Buckland
Mills
community
by
asking
them
to
donate
food
and
snacks
for
care
packages
being
prepared
by
the
class.
"Students
were
able
to
develop
empathy
for
our
troop
members
by
imagining
what
it
must
be
like
to
be
far
away
from
family
and
friends
while
serving
in
another
country.
They
were
excited
to
show
their
appreciation
for
the
troops
and
do
something
to
bring
them
a
smile.
I
think
this
helped
them
understand
our
interconnectedness
as
community
members,"
said
Pirisino.
Questions
about
the
kind
of
snacks
they
like,,
what
they
do
for
fun
when
not
working,
and
what
it's
like
to
travel
to
another
country
and
be
in
the
military,
greeted
Stroud's
husband
and
son
as
they
spent
time
with
the
students,
before
collecting
the
care
packages
for
shipping
to
Lauren's
unit
in
the
Middle
East.
Stroud
added,
"My
family
is
so
grateful
to
our
kindergarten
Wildcats
for
supporting
Lauren.
We
are
extremely
proud
of
her
and
her
colleagues
and
all
that
they
are
doing
to
support
the
safety
of
our
country.
I
appreciate
our
kindergarten
teachers
for
launching
this
project
and
how
they
tied
in
the
International
Baccalaureate
Primary
Years
Programme
key
concepts
of
connection,
function,
and
responsibility
allowing
the
children
to
learn
authentically
across
the
disciplines,
carrying
the
big
idea
into
each
subject
area
smoothly
and
conjoined.
Thank
you
Wildcats!"
