Team Uruzgan

My sister and her team in Afghanistan are AWESOME.  The kids in my class had a big project to do this quarter called the Duluth Project.  They had to read about our city, choose a landmark that inspired them, research it, and then make a postcard and a brochure about it.  I sent their postcards to my sister and her team in Afghanistan because they like getting mail and I thought I could tie in a little real-life teaching about what's happening in the world.

Amy and her team finally got the postcards and Amy took the above picture of them holding them up.  I showed it to the kids yesterday on the Smartboard and they all gathered up at the front and looked for their card.

Amy also wrote them a really nice email commenting on several of the cards and telling the kids that she and her team learned a lot about Duluth that they didn't know before. (Some of them have never heard of Duluth before, can you believe it?)  Then at the end of her email she said:

Anyway....if you guys have any questions, let your WONDERFUL teacher know and I'll be sure to get right back to you!!  I hope you all have a great summer!!!

So I asked the kids if they had any questions for her and then proceeded to write down a question from just about every kid in both my classes.  They wanted to know everything from what time she goes to bed to do they serve chicken to do the soldiers ever get scared.

Amy addressed the kids by name and answered their questions.  She told them that her team does not have to fight because they are on a reconstruction mission, but sometimes they get scared.  She said:

D., I'm sure the soldiers do get scared from time to time.  I was scared the other day when I saw a spider in the bathroom.  :)  But the soldiers are also trained really, really well....so even if they are scared, they know what to do and how to get the job done.

That made me laugh because Amy would get scared of a spider in the bathroom.  Who wouldn't?  I bet she screamed a blood-curdling scream (known in our family as the "spider scream") and then immediately felt stupid for screaming over a spider, but also got out of the bathroom as soon as humanly possible.  Screw brushing the teeth!  Right Amy?

At the end of her long email answering all the questions she left the door open again by saying:

I hope I answered everyone's questions!!  I know you only have 2 days of school left but if you have anything else, ask away!!  It was fun to hear from you....  :)

Take care and have a great summer!!

I love how she ends each email by telling them to have a great summer.  That's the email equivalent of the high, sing-songy goodbye voice you use on the phone when you are trying to hang up.  Sorry, Amy, they are not ready to hang up yet.  I'm sure you will get a ton more questions today.  Get ready.

Thank you so much to Amy and her wonderful team in Afghanistan.  I am SO GLAD you guys get to come home this month!