Cousins When a young cousin looks up with pride to his older cousin, a helicopter pilot in the Navy, and when the younger cousin goes to a terrifically patriotic and innovative school like John F. Kennedy Elementary School in South Plainfield where his mom is one of the teachers who keeps this school outstanding, good things happen for military men and women.
It was fourth graders at the school who organized and prepped the idea of sending packages to individual service members, with each of the grades from kindergarten to fourth selecting a military man or woman to treat.
Several months ago, Jamie McNamee, a teacher at the school, sent a letter home to the parents of each of the children in the K through 4th grades at the school, asking for the names and locations of all family members who were actively serving in the military.
Jamie’s letter was totally endorsed by both principal Dr. Kevin Hajduk and student council advisor Jessica Stevens. Jamie’s actions are in keeping with Hajduk’s leadership that emphasizes American history as a major part of education together with recognition of all those who serve. The entire school participates in daylong activities on Veterans Day and other times throughout the year, encouraging students to invite their military family members to participate and speak with the students.
For this project, five students had military members currently serving, and each of the classes ‘adopted’ one military member. The entire school participated in the remembrance of the five military members.
Stevens, described McNamee “”she is truly an amazing asset to the school ,” then, with the help of other student council and advisors, she organized and prepared the idea.
Students from all grades created cards and individualized them to each service member, all of whom were in some way related to a Kennedy student or staff member.
The student council, comprised of 20 students in the fourth grade, used the school website to sign up venues and suggest ideas to facilitate donations. Parents signed up for donations and sent their packages to Jamie, the second grade teacher. Jamie then sorted the huge variety of gifts, evenly distributing them among the five classrooms. Students then prepared each of the boxes, and with the help of their teacher and advisor, sent the boxes along with personal letters to the military members.
Each of the boxes contained shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste, floss, sun lotion, candy/chocolate, snacks including chips and jerky, granola bars, ChapStick and more.
Athan McNamee is the son of Jamie McNamee, the teacher, and her husband Trey, who also have a younger daughter, Brynleigh. A first grader at the school, Athan told the class his cousin is Lt. (jg) Angus Yeoman of Bayville, is a helicopter pilot in the Navy stationed at Norfolk, Virginia.
Newly arrived at Norfolk after being transferred from Pensacola, Fla., Yeoman was surprised and delighted at the gift from Athan and his school mates. “I couldn’t have a better welcome to my new station than this package from my cousin Athan and his friends,” Yeoman said, “he’s a really cool kid and a great cousin. Can’t wait until the family gets down so I can show him some of the sights around here.”
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