Bell students prepare care boxes for local soldiers

Submitted

The Bell Elementary School fourth grade students have learned some very important character building skills this Christmas season.
Fourth grade classes began a care box project back in November. By tying in Hospitality and Sensitivity, the Gilchrist County Character Council character traits for November and December, the fourth grade teachers used the project as a wonderful learning experience for students.

Fourth grade students Destiny Woodby, Bryn Thomas, and Sydnie Martin
are shown stuffing boxes for soldiers.

Fourth grade teacher Susan Owens used her Facebook account as a resource to get lots of local names of soldiers from this area that the students could make boxes for.
Included in every box was a letter and Christmas cards the students had made. The boxes were stocked full of items that the troops could use in the areas that they are stationed in and some things the students and teachers thought would be good to just have on hand.
A total of nine packages were sent out to Iraq, Bahrain, Khost, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and to battleships in the middle of the ocean.
The fourth grade students have already begun to receive e-mails back from some of the local soldiers that have received care boxes. After reading the clip from one of the letters, it is clear that this project provided a wonderful lesson for the students.
“It’s amazing how such a small gesture of caring can have an impact on another human being,” Owens said. “The stuff in the boxes were items that most of us take for granted each and every day. We do not realize just how lucky we are to have these very same things every day.”
The fourth grade students are planning on collecting items and sending off another care box just before Valentines Day.
“Everything we do, no matter how small it may seem, does have a large impact,” Owens said. “Please keep our military in your prayers during this holiday season and every day.”