Hopatcong Kids Spread Holiday Cheer Overseas

When Hopatcong's Bobby Juliano, 13, opens presents beneath his grandparents' Christmas tree this year, he won't just focus on tearing through the wrapping paper. He'll be thinking about those serving America in the Middle East.

"They won't be able to spend their holidays with their families," said Juliano, an eighth-grader. "Usually, the holidays are spending time with your family and stuff. But now since they're over in Iraq or Afghanistan, they can't do that."

Juliano was part of the 's effort to write thank-you letters to U.S. servicemen. The school mailed more than 450 personalized postcards on Wednesday, most starting with "Dear Soldier," and explaining why the soldiers' efforts won't go unnoticed this holiday season.

"These kids are at a different place than from when we grew up," middle school English teacher Sue Hill said. "When I grew up, it was Vietnam and even a little bit after. But there were no wars. People just went into the Army and served. There wasn't active fighting going on. These kids are in a different world.

"It's a character-buidling activity as well. They think with other people, they empathize with other people and the kids talked about it as they were doing it. They gave each other ideas."

Principal Lou Benfatti agreed.

"These kids can take that activity of writing a letter and they can relate it to the curriculum," he said. "And that's the beauty of it because it's a real, live letter going to person and now, all of a sudden, they take all they've learned over the course of the year and put it into a letter. It's just a great overall experience and our teachers did an excellent job implementing it into the classroom."

The idea started with a letter state Department of Education Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf sent to superintendents asking them to participate in a month-long "Season of Service." "These letters are incredibly meaningful around the holidays for service members stations overseas, and they provide an opportunity for all of us to express our appreciation for their service to our country," Cerf said.