New Brunswick 5th Graders Write Postcards To Ukrainian Children

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Postcards are small, delicate things. They can even be viewed as inconsequential.

But two teachers at New Brunswick’s Livingston Elementary School — along with their 19 5th grade students — believe postcards can be vehicles for delivering hope to people in war-ravaged Ukraine. Teachers Victoria Salcedo-Martinez and Bari Taylor-Gaeta have initiated a project, “Hope for Ukraine,” that involves students penning brief, heartfelt postcard messages to Ukrainians who’ve been forced to flee their homes.

Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, the two teachers realized their students would need background information, so they could understand what was happening. The teachers led discussion groups for the fifth graders, explaining the invasion, and it quickly became clear that in addition to learning about the conflict, the students wanted to help.

Salcedo-Martinez and Taylor-Gaeta decided to have their students write postcards to Ukrainians being forced to flee their homes. As they composed their individual messages of hope and compassion, the fifth graders had the experience of thinking about the war on a decidedly personal level.

All of these are being shipped to children in Ukraine and distributed by the Kean University-based group Be the Change NJ. Additional postcards are now being written, and will be mailed toward the end of April.

“Clearly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to be the lead item on daily newscasts and across the social media spectrum,” says Dr. Aubrey Johnson, superintendent of New Brunswick Public Schools. “It’s definitely something our young people are thinking and talking about quite a bit.”

“In our daily social, emotional, and learning sessions, what’s happening in Ukraine is a very hot discussion topic," said Virginia Lagos-Hill, New Brunswick's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. "As a result, it’s vital we keep open avenues for continued communication and understanding. Our students are counting on it."

"I am so proud of how our educators create opportunities for connection and relevance in learning. Our students understand that they can and should use their voice to impact others in positive ways as members of a global community," said Livingston Elementary School principal Nadine Sanchez.