Durban Avenue Students Share Halloween with Soldiers Abroad

Students at Hopatcong's Durban Avenue School were thinking about more than scarfing candy during Halloween. 

Superintendent of Schools Cynthia Randina says fourth graders at the school worked collaboratively in service to the men and women serving the nation in the armed forces. Carolyn Moschella's class created Halloween cards, poems and decorations to send to a U.S. Army unit, part of the Forward Operating Base Apache, now serving in the Zabul Province in Afghanistan.

Of course, an important character-building lesson came out of the altruistic project. Randina said the exercise reinforced social studies lessons on citizenship and on the concept of selfless service to others. The superintendent said the lesson—and the children's generous efforts for the soldiers—were valuable reinforcements of lessons students learned during Respect Week, which was observed in Hopatcong schools in early October.

Randina noted that the students were sincere in wanting to express thanks to the soldiers stationed overseas for keeping the nation safe and free. And the effort is not yet over: Students will send the Army unit a box of goodies around Thanksgiving to express their thanks. And Moschella’s students reportedly are discussing ideas of how they can show their appreciation to the troops at
Christmas time. The class is hoping to lead a school-wide Christmas card making project for the entire Forward Operating Base, the superintendent said.