Soldiers love children's handwriting

Not many thank-you notes are reciprocated with another thank-you note, but Doris Middleton has a collection of them. In an exercise of both punctuation and appreciation, the third-grade teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School last year had her class write letters to an American military post, building a correspondence that ended with the school year last spring.

Another scrapbook completed, another page turned.

But soon after beginning her 26th year at the Washington Township school, Middleton reached into her school mailbox to discover something completely novel -- a future soldier reaching out."We have recently been down on morale and came across your students' letter(s) that were in a locker that someone left from last cycle," Private Chris Lindsey wrote from Fort Benning, a basic training school in Georgia, on Sept. 9. "We called the entire platoon to formation and read the letters out loud. I have never seen my platoon so motivated and encouraged."

The next morning, Middleton rallied her class of 20, proceeded to read Lindsey's letter and dispersed the necessary materials: paper, tools mightier than swords, and a tangible way to "Support the Troops."

"It was difficult writing to somebody you don't know, but it was like we were on a mission," said Middleton, a Gloucester Township resident. "We were there to help boost their morale."

Middleton originally challenged her class with the task in the 2006-2007 school year, instructing her students to send letters to the unit of Private Gordon Adams, the uncle of her then-student Celeste Pacheco and an enlistee stationed 900 miles away at Fort Benning, Ga.

After noticing other cadets receiving little or no mail, Adams wrote to his sister, Jennette Fowler, the mother of Pacheco, requesting backup -- a bunch of eager 8- and 9-year-olds who wanted new pen pals of their own.

"As young as they are, they seem very appreciative, and they realize these people are defending them and our country," Middleton recalled.

While eternity may precede recess for some third-grade students, days run even longer at Fort Benning. The infantry school tests endurance through mile repeats, strength through pushup workouts and accuracy through shooting practice, among other things. On the day of graduation, the last of the 17-week training period, Adams had unfortunately guessed right; many of his fellow trainees had no family or friends nearby. But armed with a stack of letters, Fowler made sure the pen pals' presence was felt by his homesick peers.

And lucky for these National Guard soldiers, the students didn't get too creative with their letters. "(The cadets) would get teased about it if you decorate the envelopes," said Fowler, 28, a Washington Township resident, remembering a note Adams wrote soon after arriving there. "One of the guys got a heart-shaped letter and had to do extra pushups to (be allowed to open) the letter. They just bust their chops."

Adams, 25, lives in West Deptford, but is set to depart for Iraq in June.

"Because he's still here" Pacheco said she doesn't currently write to him, but plans to when he's overseas.

"It makes me feel proud because my uncle is in the army," said Celeste Pacheco, 10, a fourth grader.

Along with showing support and showcasing their artwork, both of Middleton's classes loaded their letters with questions. And the cadets had the answers -- generally.

"No, I don't get to drive an Army car," then-Private David Willis wrote. "We just get to ride in the back."

"Yes, good eye sight is needed in the military . . . ," Justin Witter noted as a private on May 6. "I assume by the time you are old enough to decide to join the military, they can correct being color blind."

But Brandon Parr, then a 19-year-old private, was asked something a bit more personal.

"My reason for joining the military is for the simple fact that it was the right thing to do," he wrote.

Although the penmanship is unmistakably that of students, it's not always clear who's doing the asking in the notes, Middleton said.

"Sometimes they would get help from their parents and I think you could hear the parent's voice in there, too, thanking them and talking to them about it," she said.

In a digital world where it seems everyone is texting or IM'ing or e-mailing, reading and writing between the lines may seem as old as papyrus.

But stick a feather in your pen, Middleton said, because freehand writing still serves a function.

"I'm from the old school. E-mail has its advantages and disadvantages, but there's nothing like a handwritten note," said Middleton, who also had her class write to third-graders at Birches Elementary School, to "grand pals" at Cardinal Retirement Village and to her husband, Wes Middleton, a veteran, after a recent hip replacement. "It's so much more personal."

Student Mary Kate Anastasi, 9, still prefers e-mail lingo over English, but said she doesn't mind writing to soldiers. In fact, she hopes the class will write to her step-brother, Michael, a full-time Coast Guard officer living in Boston, next.

"I tried to make it the best I could," Anastasi said. "I don't really write letters like this."

The soldiers haven't yet responded to the students' last batch of letters in November, but both the students and the teacher can't wait until the troops arrive back home. Until then, they only have old letters to hold:

One read: "I remember when I was in grade school and we wrote those "Dear Soldier' letters. I didn't think they meant anything, let alone actually sent them off. If nothing else, I want you to know that we all thank you for sending those letters.

"Your friendly American soldier. PFC Chris Lindsey."

Notebook: Girls bring it at Eastern States

Running like a girl now carries new meaning locally after South Jersey's showing at the Eastern States Championships Tuesday.

Of the total 16 events for each gender at the tristate meet, South Jersey girls captured seven, including three relays, while also setting three meet records. On the xy side, a couple guys also mined New York for some gold, each setting a meet record.

Ladies first

Even with her bid to repeat her 2007 win in the Meet of Champions' 55-meter dash dashed last Saturday, Eastern sophomore English Gardner still had her win at last year's Eastern States to defend.

With the MoC winner, Chatham senior Ogechi Nwaneri, disqualifying herself by false starting in the semi finals of the 55, Gardner's chief competition became Immaculate Conception sophomore Dominique Booker, who had edged Gardner (3rd, 7.02) for silver at the MoC.

But Gardner wouldn't be denied redemption, barreling to the finish in a victorious personal-best 6.92 for her second Eastern States title in the 55. Booker took second in 6.99 and Deptford junior Audrey Wilson placed fourth in a season-best 7.12.

Oh Snapp

Oakcrest junior Nijgia Snapp had no such titles to defend, but an impressive win in the 400 at last Saturday's Meet of Champions brought the bulls-eye, making her one of the favorites Tuesday.

"I've been saying for a long time I wanted to win something at the Meet of Champs," Snapp said. "That's basically what I told my coach and she's been giving me a lot of hard workouts and getting me emotionally and physically ready for the race."

Originally slated to run the 800 at Eastern States, a decision made after narrowly missing the national qualifying mark of 2:18 by running a 2:18.01 on a flat (slower) track at sectionals, coach Kim Nath spoke with meet organizers – those interested in stacking their races with the best talent – and made the switch without a hitch Sunday night.

Too confined to warm up in the busy New York Armory, Snapp, accompanied by Nath, headed outside in the cold rain and ran 15 to 20 minutes along the sleek streets of New York City.

Snapp, a cross-country runner in the fall, ended up catching more than a cold Tuesday. Boxed in after a quick 200 meters, Snapp broke out, ripping past one runner and outsprinting New Rochelle senior Elizabeth Mott on the homestretch to win in a meet record 54.91, fourth best time in the nation. The win makes Snapp 4-for-4 in open 400s this season.
"I go into each race with a set plan, but it never unfolds like I think it will," Snapp said.

2 Fast 4 U

The Lenape relay of seniors Brianna Beddall, Miya Johnson, Moira Cunningham and sophomore Caitlin Orr had a South Jersey-best time in the 4x800 heading into Eastern States action Tuesday.

But the girls needed to do better than their previous best of 9:31.30 to even place in the top four Tuesday and, girl, did they.
The relay set a meet record with the nation's eighth fastest time this season, 9:11.94, for an eight-second win. The super sophs at Seneca, Michelle Brown, Mary Bohi, Nicole McGrainer and Lyndsy Horn placed seventh in 9:36.42.

Jump around

Known for jumping high over bars and hurdles, Lenape senior Lindsey Walsh proved to be perfectly capable of jumping long at Eastern States, taking first in the long jump in 18-5.75, a quarter inch farther than runner-up Ridge's Josefine Kvist.
Last Saturday at the Meet of Champions, Walsh, caught in a three-man "jump off" in the high jump, escaped for the win by clearing 5-6, making her undefeated against state opponents in the event.

Walsh tied for second with three others in the high jump Tuesday by clearing 5-4. John B. Stevens senior Yasmin Parks won with a 5-6.

Sharp hurdles

Woodrow Wilson senior Samantha Sharper made up for a disappointing performance at states to win the 55 hurdles at the Meet of Champions last Saturday, then in a personal-best 8.09.

"Then" because Sharper, on Tuesday at Eastern States, ran a meet record 8.01, eighth fastest time in the country. Summit senior Susan Scavone crossed the line next in 8.36.

Take two

The Camden relay of juniors Assante Johnson and Jamie Jones and seniors Miriam Boyd and Kamice Smalls never ran the 4x200 as fast as they did in the prelims Tuesday at Eastern States, winning the close race in 1:42.39, already a South Jersey best, to become, um, first in line at the finals.

There, the Panthers found another gear, becoming the first of four teams to finish under 1:42 in 1:41.19. Danbury was second in 1:41.36.

For the Mill

Millville owned South Jersey's best 4x400 time before Tuesday and held onto that honor even with Camden clawing.

Millville's squad of sophomore Nyrae Newman, senior Alyssa Barrow, and the fastest female twins in the state, juniors Brooke Kott and Britney Kott, burned up the 200-meter track a total of eight times in a meet record 3:54.82, fifth fastest in the nation.

Camden's Boyd, Smalls, Jones and junior Shaquanda Gainey finished second in 3:56.52, the country's seventh fastest.

He is Batdorf

After the first week of his only season of indoor track, West Deptford senior Dan Batdorf has never lost a game of pole vault.

On bad days on bad legs, Batdorf still found some way to squeak over a height insurmountable to the rest. Batdorf did that last Saturday against the best vaulters in the state – and then, to challenge himself, raised the bar once more to a personal-best 15-6.

The only thing that fell, besides Batdorf, was the meet record. The championship gives Batdorf two in as many seasons.

Unlike the MoC, Batdorf needed a vault of 15-6 to beat two 15-foot jumpers Tuesday at Eastern States and did so, setting another meet record.

Two Fast
The success Haddonfield's Boo Vitez has had as a sophomore in both cross country and track can be dizzying to fathom. Now just imagine how Vitez felt Tuesday, circling the New York Armory's track more than 16 times to win the 2 Mile in a meet-record 9:34.38.

It's a personal-best time as in, but when converted to the more conventional 3,200-meter race, gives Vitez about a 9:30.98, second to only Shawnee sophomore David Forward.

Holy Cow

The week leading up to the Meet of Champions, Holy Cross had already accomplished what no other Non-Parochial school had done since 1980 – sweep state championships with both their boys' and girls' teams.

The boys' team, led by Renaissance man Mike Sheehan, held off Bishop Eustace (51) to capture the Non-Parochial B title with 65 points. Scoring 51 points in a win was the girls' team.

Sheehan helped score 32 points by winning the 1,600 (4:26.02), the 4x400 alongside senior Terrence Osborne, freshman Justin Ramsey and junior Rich Fisher, taking second to Bishop Eustace senior Brian Laskowski (2:00.10) in the 800 (2:01.44) and fourth in the 3,200 (10:07.09).

"He was so psyched coming up to the state championship," coach Ed Battaglia said. "He wanted the team to win. He wanted to do everything. He knew he was running four races, in fact, he told me he was running all four. That's Mike."

Seniors Ayana Davis (8.91) and Rose Johnson (9.01) went 1,2 in the 55 hurdles. Johnson also took first in the high jump (4-10).

The drop down to Non-Parochial B helped the teams' chances, sure, but Battaglia and fellow co-coach Jim Younglove said the kids still had to earn it. To ease any anxiety days leading up to the big meet, Battaglia scratched practice for a coed game of volleyball.

"I think that helped the enthusiasm get going," Battaglia said. "No pressure. Let's just have fun."