News>Feature - Merkel Elementary School says 'thanks' to Dyess troops
Photos
Merkel Elementary School kindergarten students proudly display the quilt they made for members of Dyess' 40th Airlift Squadron, who are now deployed to the area of responsibility. Master Sgt. Jerry Sebastian, Staff Sgt. Jackie Ford, and Senior Airmen Christy Loper visited the students before they deployed to promote patriotism and military support, and the children responded with gifts, cards, smiles and more May 15. (Photo provided by Cheri Adair, Merkel Elementary kindergarten teacher)
Dyess C-130 crew members poses with a stuffed badger given to members of the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron by Merkel Elementary students. Before they left for the area of responsibility, members of the 40th Airlift Squadron visited the school to promote patriotism and support of the Global War on Terror. In thanks, the students gave crew members the badger, a homemade patchwork quilt and other gifts, which the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron proudly displays every day. (Photo provided by Col. Michael Zick, 746th EAS commander)
A Dyess C-130 pilot poses with a stuffed badger given to members of the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron by Merkel Elementary students. Before they left for the area of responsibility, members of the 40th Airlift Squadron from visited the school to promote patriotism and support of the Global War on Terror. In thanks, the students gave crew members a homemade patchwork quilt and other gifts, which the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron proudly displays every day. (Photo provided by Col. Michael Zick, 746th EAS commander)
Master Sgt. Jerry Sebastian, a 40th Airlift Squadron C-130 crew member deployed with the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, poses for a photo with a stuffed badger from the students of Merkel Elementary, who he and other 40th AS members visited before they deployed. The children were so inspired by Dyess Airmen that they responded with gifts and patriotic sentiment May 15. (Photo provided by Col. Michael Zick, 746th EAS commander)
Senior Airman Christy Loper, 39th Airlift Squadron, sends a picture of herself with gifts from Merkel Elementary School kindergarteners May 15. The students there adopted a number of Dyess Airmen and have been sending gifts to the deloyed Airmen. In return, the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 unit there is flying a flag over the area of responsibility and has sent back pictures of their work, boosting patriotism in the hearts of the 5-year-olds. (U.S. Air Force photo provided by Col. Michael Zick, 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander)
Staff Sgt. Jackie Ford, a Dyess 40th Airlift Squadron member deployed with the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, displays a homemade quilt from kindergarten students at Merkel Elementary School May 17. (Photo provided by Col. Michael Zick, 746th EAS)
5/22/2007 - ABILENE, Texas -- A letter from Merkel Elementary School worth sharing...
May 15, 2007
Colonel Michael Zick
Dyess Air Force Base
Abilene, Texas
Dear Colonel Zick,
Please accept this letter as sincere heartfelt appreciation for extreme hard work and dedication from three of your Dyess Air Force Base personnel. MSgt Jerry Sebastian, SSgt Jackie Ford, and SrA Christy Loper have all three gone above and beyond their normal call of duty to aid in the education of kindergarten students at Merkel Elementary School. Words cannot express the excitement and happiness in the eyes of these students who truly enjoyed everything that was done for them. Not only were Sebastian, Ford, and Loper superior role models, but became friends to each one of my students. What great representation for Dyess Air Force base! My students now have great respect for soldiers and a true love for the Air Force. I fully expect someday to see some of my students make a career in the Air Force due to the courtesy and excitement extended them in kindergarten.
MSgt. Sebastian has a child in Merkel Kindergarten. As he deployed, he was given a "stuffed badger" he willingly agreed to take along on his deployment. Not only did he take the Badger on many trips, but he took several pictures of the Badger on this deployment. This was all done with not only excitement and enthusiasm from him, but his entire crew as well. I don't know many grown men, who have such a dangerous and important job and would take the time to take photos with a stuffed badger! These photos were sent to our classroom computer and exposed our children to many things they had never seen before. What a great learning opportunity! MSgt Sebastian also flew a flag for Merkel Elementary and will be presenting it to our school at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. I must honestly say this has taught many five year olds a respect for our flag and country they have never known.
SSgt Jackie Ford and SrA Loper agreed to participate in an adopt-a-soldier program I wanted to try as a possible learning tool. SSgt Ford began his friendship with my class before he left for his deployment. He took time out of his day to come to our classroom and actually meet the students before he left. He spent a lot of time writing letters to our class. Not only did he write letters to our class, but he required "work" on their behalf. Through his emails he appointed them as his "special troops" and he needed them to research special intelligence which he needed to complete his missions properly. What an extremely creative learning approach! They were asked to research the Middle East, learn about the people, weather, animals, and anything else they considered to be important for him to complete his missions. This opened a HUGE door of learning which resulted in learning about different cultures, money, types of food, language, flags and religion. I must admit we spent lots of time studying camel spiders! They often asked many times during the day if we had received "e-mail" from SSgt Ford as they could not wait to see what their next task would be!
My girls experience a "unique" form of excitement as they discovered one of our adopt-a-soldiers would be a GIRL SOLDIER! The first thing they thought the boys needed to know was "anything boys can do...girls can do better!" Ford and Loper quickly emphasized the importance of team work! Another valuable lesson they were able to learn at early years. SrA Loper had deployed early and they were unable to meet her before she left. She not only has spent much of her valuable time writing letters to my class, but she takes pictures and sends them to our class computer as well. They quickly discovered that in Texas we see "horses in the back of trailers... but in the Middle East you will see camels in the back of trucks! SrA Loper has taught us many many things about the Middle East as well as how the United States military has bases in other countries. Our classroom made a "class flag" which we sent to SSgt Ford and SrA Loper. SrA Loper "proudly" displayed our flag in their current shop building and gave my class a sense of pride for their work. SrA Loper also came up with a SUPER CREATIVE idea to give students recognition not only for hard work, but good character traits as well. She created a certificate to recognize a different student each week for AIRMAN OF THE WEEK. The certificate looks very authentic and official as it reads United States Air Force, 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. It is issued to the student and is signed "Congratulations and thank you for being a great secret soldier!" Each week I witnessed my students reminding each other to be "good secret soldiers" or SrA Loper would not choose them to be "Airman of the Week". This decreased my discipline problems tremendously! Mondays became extremely important as they raced into school to determine who would be selected Airman of the Week. Loper also stressed the importance of "good sportsmanship" should you NOT be chosen that week you should try harder and possibly be chosen the next!
Lifelong lessons have been given to each one of my students this year. The opportunities of learning in this type of environment are absolutely endless! Out of thirteen years of teaching, this by far has been the best learning experiencing and has reached and touched the lives of not only students.... but parents and teachers as well. There are not enough words to express my sincere gratitude. I just felt their heartfelt efforts should not go unnoticed, and others from Dyess Air Force Base should be made aware of the huge impact these true heroes have placed on our children!
Again, Merkel Elementary truly appreciates the "dedication and class" they have displayed to many of our students. I assure you many years down the road, one of their favorite school memories will always be of their "special soldiers" who took the time to change the lives of many students... one child at a time! With only nine days of school left, I continue to hear these words from my kids as each one lays their head down for rest time and looks at the pictures of their very own special soldiers... "I love our special soldiers... and I hope they will hurry and come home to us safely!" That is our wish for all of you. We were truly honored and proud to have known these three fine soldiers!!!
