Published: March 31, 2009 07:01 pm      

LETTERS: April 1, 2009

Big thanks to employees of Utica Elementary



I am writing the letter to personally thank all of the employees of Utica Elementary School that have worked with my son over the past few years. When I first moved to this area, it was scary not knowing the different schools and not knowing the support staff that a parent needs to rely on for help with their child.

My son has problems with his speech, and he also is diagnosed as learning-disabled. It has been an uphill battle to bring his reading scores up and to get him to do any amount of work that involved reading. The staff at Utica Elementary have dedicated so much of their time assisting my son in his achievements over the past few years, I am completely grateful.

There are so many people to thank, but I do want to mention some of them. First, Mr. Chinn has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for my son. He has watched him before school when my day care fell through, he has given him stern talks when they were needed and he has met us at the school on Saturday so he could get a textbook he forgot to bring home for the weekend. But most of all, he has set high standards for my son to work toward with his behavior and academics so that my son wants to do well.

Deanna Dumstorf, Jennifer McDonogh, Ashleigh Thompson, Marilyn Fellows, MaryBeth Lawson and Mrs. Hutchins have gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to helping not only my son, but all the kids they come into contact with. They have been flexible, open-minded, and extremely creative in their efforts to create a fun learning environment.

I have been blessed and honored to have these individuals as a part of my son’s educational team. The end result of all of their hard work is the closing gap with my son’s academic struggles and his accomplishment of passing the math portion of the ISTEP.

Without the dedication of these educators, my son would still hate school. I owe a debt of gratitude to these individuals and all others that help my two sons in Greater Clark County Schools.

— Jennifer S. Swanson, Jeffersonville



Help keep children’s home in Knightstown open



Nestled in the rolling hills and farmland of Indiana lies a safe haven for young people who desperately need a chance for a successful future. Away from the streets of the big city, gangs, drugs and violence, the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home in Knightstown has been serving Indiana’s youth for 143 years, giving them the opportunities they so richly deserve.

In January, the state health department announced its decision that the children’s home would be closing its doors forever at the end of the school year. Immediately, the American Legion and the Home’s Alumni Association began rallying forces to intercede in the situation to hopefully overturn the decision.

I’m proud to say that over the past 33 years, I have served as a classroom teacher at “The Home.” Over the many years, I have been a witness to a multitude of miracles. I’ve watched little boys and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds thrive in the home’s caring environment. From there, they have gone on to become productive citizens with families of their own, doing a variety of jobs or serving in our military.

It is vitally important that we keep this issue in the forefront of everyone’s mind as our legislative leaders make important decisions regarding the future of the children’s home. I would ask then that all caring Indiana residents call, e-mail and send letters to Gov. Mitch Daniels, state representatives and particularly to state senators to voice your concern about Indiana’s at-risk youth and keeping the children’s home open. Hundreds of children are counting on us to speak up for them, please don’t let them down.

— Cynthia Kendall, Greenfield



Let’s petition Congress for healthy school lunches



What’s more dangerous — a cigarette or a fattening school lunch like the ones many kids eat five days a week? According to a new study, it may be a tie.

Researchers found that obese teenagers, like heavy smokers, were twice as likely to die early, compared with normal-weight nonsmokers. As a dietitian, I think it’s critical that we encourage youth to stay away from unhealthy, high-calorie foods, in addition to cigarettes.

Healthy school lunches — including fruits, vegetables and low-fat vegetarian meals — could help improve students’ health and decrease their risk of obesity and other chronic diseases. Yet, most school cafeterias continue to serve processed meat and cheese products and other foods too high in fat and cholesterol.

Schools want to serve better food, but they need help from the government. Let’s ask Congress to help schools offer healthier options in the lunch room, where so many students learn lifelong eating habits. Sign the petition at HealthySchoolLunches.org.

— Kathryn Strong, M.S., R.D., staff dietitian, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.