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The Journey
by Jane Cosco Length: 13,961 plus soldier letters
Genre: Creative Nonfiction, Education, Humor, Military/War, Juvenile, Illustrated, Current Events
Sentence: From a computer classroom to a three day cruise on the USS Iwo Jima, New York City suburb kids turn the 9/11 tragedy into triumph and learn the true value of service.
Blurb: Out of the depths of sorrow, a simple computer classroom assignment takes hold before the dust settles at Ground Zero. While they could have held tight to their emotions, the children exposed their grief and fear and were embraced by their community and beyond. The children turned their private tears into community healing and, thus, America’s past gave hope to America’s future.
Synopsis: The terrorist attacks on September 11th had a tremendous impact on our school population. None of us will ever forget those agonizing hours waiting to hear if our families were safe. My traditional PowerPoint assignments blurred in the wake of this national disaster. Many students were personally affected by this tragedy, so I refocused projects to deal with the emotions of the aftermath. The children combined meaningful songs with photos to produce an amazing array of tributes to remember those who perished and to thank local First Responders who sacrifice time away from their families to keep ours safe. Months later, a father serving in Iraq and an uncle serving in the Navy made us realize that we had others to thank. Operation Goody Bag was born to personally say thanks and physically connect the “Home Front” with the “Front Line”.
A simple brown lunch bag would be colorfully decorated and filled with poetry, puzzles, personal letters and candy and shipped to America's First Responders . . . sending a little taste of home to those who serve. On February 15, 2007, the official 50,000th Goody Bag was stuffed and the next day we announced this milestone on the Fox and Friends national television show.
Thirty six years ago I stood in front of my very first science class never dreaming what the future would hold. My journey followed a winding path from an 8th grade classroom to a naval warship. But it was the Hanger Bay of the USS Iwo Jima that proved to be the greatest experience of my teaching career.
It was 7:00 p.m. on the third night of our voyage. Our "Night of Remembrance & Hope" was about to begin. The size of the crowd was unusual for us, over seven hundred Marines and Sailors strong, but I was sure that my students could handle it. The lights dimmed and they did what they did best, express gratitude. The audience cried, sang, shouted and danced. When the crowd sang the last notes of God Bless America, the children beamed with pride as they tossed eight hundred Goody Bags into the crowd. As they were thanked, hugged and congratulated by dozens of teary-eyed Marines and Sailors, they experienced first hand that they were making a difference in the world. Bio: Some highlights include:
Endorsements: Radio Commentator, Mark Levin Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace James Gandolfini, actor
Film: This story is inspirational. It could easily be a documentary. A film version would cover classroom setting, to desert, to aircraft carrier deck. Highlight of the film would be to unite soldiers, sailors and marines who were inspired by children's letters with the children that actually wrote the letters. |
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NOTE: All material is copyright protected. No portion of this material may be copied or reproduced, either electronically, mechanically, or by any other means, for resale or distribution without the written consent of the author. All copy has been dated and registered with the American Society of Authors and Writers. Copyright 2007 by The Swetky Agency |
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