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October 17, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 18Oakland,
CA
World leaders respond to students’ letters of thanks
When Shelby
Miller, 10, wrote a letter to the Venezuelan ambassador in Washington,
D.C., last month thanking him for his country’s offer of humanitarian
aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the St. Jerome El Cerrito fifth
grader never dreamed that it would be read over national television by
President Hugo Chavez himself.
But that’s what happened. The ambassador was so touched by Miller’s
heart-festooned letter that he forwarded it on to Venezuela’s top
leader who read it during his weekly “Alo presidente” show.
Miller received this gem of good news when St. Jerome’s principal,
Marla Korte opened her e-mail on Oct. 3 and found a note from the Venezuelan
Embassy in Washington D.C. Korte and fifth grade teacher, Mary Jo Mishork,
have added Chavez’s message to several letters coming to the school
acknowledging the youngsters’ correspondences. “The kids are
so excited,” said Mishork.
The fifth graders writing project is an outgrowth of their participation
in the national Newspapers in Education program, which teaches children
how to tap into the news of the day and use it in their studies, explained
Mishork. Through NIE, Mishork receives copies of both the West County
Times and the Oakland Tribune for use in her classroom.
Her students also tap into news on the Internet. Mishork said she uses
world events to help her youngsters “take down the boundaries of
the United States and realize that we are all world citizens.”
The Katrina letters emerged the day after the massive hurricane devastated
the Gulf Coast and President George Bush received an outpouring of compassion
as well as offers of material assistance and money from countries across
the globe.
Knowing that Bush is a busy man and might not have time to respond
personally to the offers, the kids decided that they would write thank
you notes to the U.S. ambassadors of these countries, letting them know
that Americans were grateful for their generous offerings.
Each child chose a country, and wrote a letter decorated with artwork.
“If a country had offered helicopters, then drawings of them would
be added,” explained the teacher. Some students picked countries
where their parents and grandparents were born.
Emily Arga, 10, sent a letter to the Philippines, her ancestral homeland.
She also fired off two more to France and Australia. The latter embassy
wrote back to Arga on Sept. 20 saying, “We have put up your hand
of friendship (drawing) for everyone to see. It is very bright and beautiful.”
Logan Ozselcuk’s letter to the Mexican ambassador, Carlos de Icaza,
prompted him to respond that “as neighbors we gladly are here to
help each other in times of need….your letter was so meaningful
to the strengthening of the US-Mexico relationship that we thought it
proper to forward it to our Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
Hugo Chavez expounded at length on Shelby Miller’s letter saying,
“it has touched my soul and it commits us even more to the people
and children of the world.”
Chavez told his TV audience that “we have to write to this child
and send him a book and some things.” He suggested that Venezuelan
children write to Shelby and the rest of the fifth graders. The president
then added, “They sent me a photo of St. Jerome’s and it is
a pretty school.”
Aubrey Williams, 10, and other fifth graders at St. Jerome
School in El Cerrito write letters and decorate envelopes of appreciation
to send to embassies of countries that offered aid after Hurricane Katrina.
Each envelope also contained a student-traced “hand of gratitude.”
MARY JO MISHORK PHOTO
