09/28/04

Schultz pupils craft home-grown support

By KIM HUGHES
Chronicle Correspondent

Pupils and teachers at Schultz Elementary School in the Klein school district are working to benefit Operation Interdependence.

Janice Smith / For the Chronicle Schultz Elementary kindergarten teacher Kristy Montgomery, second from left, helps Corbin Klempnauer and Karla Angle pack their artwork in a box to be mailed to United States troops overseas.

Operation Interdependence was created by a former Gulf War soldier to provide service men and women with care packages through a direct civilian-to-military delivery system.

When Schultz librarian Gayla Darling heard about the program, she thought her school would be a perfect fit.

"It sounded like something our kids would fall into naturally," Darling said. "We are a very patriotic school. Our colors are red, white and blue and we're called the Schultz Eagles."

So pupils began bringing items to school — with one stipulation. Each item could be no larger than a one-quart Ziploc bag.

"It has to fit within the baggy," Darling said. "Baby wipes, Chapstick, sunscreen, travel-size toiletries. These are the things that are most precious."

Even the baggy is useful.

"Sometimes it's even more precious," Darling said.

"They (the soldiers) use the bags to hold pictures of their loved ones in their pockets, so they won't get ruined in the desert."

Pupils of all ages have been contributing to the project, including Kristy Montgomery's kindergarten kids.

"So far, they've made red, white and blue bracelets and drawn pictures for the soldiers," Montgomery said. "I asked them why they were proud to be American, and they told me because they can go to church, go to school, play outside and have friends."

Helen Smith's fifth-grade pupils recently wrote letters to the soldiers.

"I like to get my children involved in current events, and I also want them to know where we fit, as Americans, in history," said Smith, a social studies teacher.

"This is historic. Today's news is tomorrow's history and I want them to be part of it."

Eleven-year-old Travis Dice said in his letter he talked about things he likes to do, and offered some flattering compliments.

"I wrote about how they're inspiring me to become a United States soldier, and I wrote about what I do, football, baseball and stuff," Dice said. "I talked about how brave they are to go over there and fight for us."

Ten-year-old Chandler Barnett echoed those sentiments.

"I told them how they're making a difference by fighting for our country, and that they're very brave," Barnett said.

While the pupils are proud of the soldiers, Gayla Darling is proud of her pupils.

"It's just amazing," said Darling, who gathered 18 Wal-Mart-sized sacks of items from the kids within three weeks. "I'd like to challenge some of our other schools in Klein to do the same thing."