NASHUA — On Friday, students at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School wrote holiday cards to area veterans, hoping to bring smiles to strangers who have sacrificed so much.
“This is so touching,” said Principal Patricia Beaulieu. “Patriotism is so important, and it is a character trait that we want to encourage.”
Students created about 300 handwritten notes for U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster’s Holiday Cards for Heroes program. Kuster visited the students on Friday, sharing with them the importance of their work.
“The veterans work so hard to keep our country safe, and all of us safe,” she told first-graders. “We appreciate all of their dedication.”
This is the second year that Kuster has organized the card drive. Letters will be collected from two New Hampshire schools in the coming week before they are delivered by Kuster to Granite State veterans at the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton later this month.
Kuster, a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said she is so grateful for all of the detailed letters created by area students for the former service members.
“They need some holiday cheer, and you guys are going to be giving it,” she told the young card writers.
Colin Scribner, a first-grade student in teacher Lou Dubois’ class, wrote a special note to the veteran receiving his card.
“To my hero, thank you for making hard choices. I hope you have a happy holiday,” wrote Scribner.
There are several students at Charlotte Avenue School who have military parents currently serving overseas, according to Beaulieu. It is imperative that they understand the connection between youth, current service members and valued veterans, according to Beaulieu.
“I think that for our children, it is really important for them to recognize that people are giving everything they can to protect us and keep us safe,” said the principal. “It helps them understand who a soldier is and what they do.”
Each month, the school focuses on a different Charlotte Cares Project to help promote strong, thoughtful and caring students. This month’s project was geared towards veterans and how much they deserve to be recognized and thanked for their contributions, said Beaulieu.
In addition to Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, students at Beaver Meadow School in Concord are also participating in Kuster’s card drive.
