School
remembers friends in Mississippi
Friday, December 09, 2005 • By
LYNN OLANOFF • The Express-Times
FRANKLIN TWP. | Just like this year's
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the tree at Waveland
Elementary School in Waveland, Miss., hails from New
Jersey.
The school's Christmas tree is just one
of the thousands of items Franklin Township School donated
to the Mississippi school, where all but two staff and
students lost their homes during Hurricane
Katrina.
On Thursday, Franklin Township School
packed up more holiday cheer to send south. The school sent
60 "parties in a box" to supply Waveland Elementary School
with decorations and treats for the school's holiday
parties.
"We sent lots of food and pencils and
paper plates and little gifts for them to cheer up," said
Victoria McDermott, 10, a fourth-grader. "Sometimes the PTA
gives us books, and they don't have anything like
that."
Thursday's shipment included a TV and VCR
to play the Christmas movies that were also sent and three
more Christmas trees to add to the one already on display at
Waveland. The Christmas tree has been a huge hit, said
school psychologist Pauline Albrecht, who organized the
adoption of the Waveland school, where she visited for nine
days last week.
"It's in a place of honor -- it's the
community Christmas tree," said Albrecht, who in May was
named Warren County's teacher of the year. "There is no
central place to get together, so they're using the school
and using the tree."
Waveland Elementary School has received a
number of donations, Principal Rebecca Ladner said, but
Franklin's donations have been special because the students
and staff have included personal letters and photos with
their donations. Each Franklin classroom and staff member
has adopted a Waveland classroom and staff
member.
"We have really connected with them,"
Ladner said. "It's really been nice."
Thursday's shipment will delivered
through a donation by INO Therapeutics, of Clinton, and was
Franklin's second large shipment to the school. On Nov. 18,
a large truck filled with school supplies, teaching
materials and gym equipment was driven to Mississippi by
Dave Pede, a Newton High School teacher and the husband of
Harmony Township School Chief Administrator Vicky
Pede.
In addition to the "parties in a box,"
Thursday's shipment included 40 tote bags for Waveland's
staff donated by the Pollitt family. Franklin staff stuffed
the bags with holiday ornaments, baking mixes, books and
other gifts.
Franklin Township School plans to
continue its adoption of Waveland Elementary School
throughout the school year and possibly into
next.
"As long as they need us," said
Superintendent Roger Jinks said.
Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by
e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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