When you go home, are you in danger of being sold into slavery?  Would you ever do such a thing to your children?  Many who read this will shake their heads and gasp in horror to even think of a tragedy like this happening in their family.  In Haiti, though, they are in constant danger of this occurring.

Jean Robert-Cadet, who came to our school, was sold into slavery as a child by his parents.  They probably didn’t know what was happening to him though.  Many parents are told that their parents are told that their children will be given nourishment and education but are really subjecting their children to hard labor, such as carrying water from a well miles away and back to their master’s home, which is what Mr. Cadet did.

Luckily, Mr. Cadet came to the United States and his teacher took an interest in him and helped him.  When he was older and became a teacher, he wrote a book about his hard life.  It is now internationally famous and he is helping children in Haiti today.

I enjoyed hearing his talk.  I hope that he inspires even more people to make a difference every day.  His book is called “Restavek: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle-Class American”. To learn more about the Jean Robert-Cadet Foundation go to www.restavekfreedom.org.

It is a Kindergarten tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie and whipped cream at snack time.  The children make paper pilgrim and Indian costumes the week before Thanksgiving and are encouraged to wear them again for their Thanksgiving celebrations at home.

This year, prior to their school feast, they took a class survey to determine what their favorite Thanksgiving meat, pie, and vegetables were and used this information to make graphs.  Of course, Thanksgiving would not be complete without learning some turkey songs and poems.  Another fun project was choosing a secret classroom friend and writing a short paragraph  about why they were thankful for that classmate.  They also put together an “I Am Thankful”  booklet, telling about some of the people and things they are grateful for in their lives.  Parents are sure to keep it as a memento of the happy times their children spent in Kindergarten.  Although Thanksgiving is just one day out of the year, the Kindergartners at Annunciation School give thanks everyday for all that God has given them.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Miss Bruemmer’s second grade class used their knowledge of friendly letter writing to create motivational, heart-warming words of gratitude and encouragement for the men and women who are serving our country overseas.  Upon the completion of these friendly letters they were then sent to a non-profit organization entitled “Packages from Home” located in Phoenix, Arizona.  The organization is dedicated to helping our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Each letter is placed inside a box along with food, games, and toiletries then shipped to our HEROS.

The following are samples of the letters sent:

Dear Hero,

I am praying for you.  Don’t forget God loves you.  He will keep you close to him.  He will take care of you.  Be brave.

Your pal,

S. S.

Dear Hero,

Thank you for serving the U.S.A.  One day I’m going to be just like you.  My mom, dad, sister, brother, and me think you’re very brave.  I know sometimes it can be scary, but if you believe in yourself then it won’t be scary at all.  And remember that you’re my HERO!!

Your pal,

J. H.

Dear Hero,

Thank you for fighting for our country!  My cousin is in the U.S. Marines.  I will also fight for the United States.

Your pal,

R. L.

Dear Hero,

Thank you for serving our country.  God loves you very much, so does Jesus because you fight for our country.  I love you just the way you are.

Your pal,

E. C.

Dear Hero,

Thank you for fighting for our country.  I will always remember you.  Don’t be scared.  Be brave.  My family will always remember you too.  I will pray for you always.  You are my hero.

Your pal,

B. B.