Students get letter, photo from president

For Presidents Day, the students in Sherry Pollock's third-grade class at Roger Bell Elementary created a card for President George W. Bush and mailed it to the White House.

They never thought they would get a response.

"I was shocked and speechless," student Toni Casey said. "I felt my heart in my throat."

The students received a signed letter and a picture of Bush and First Lady Laura Bush last week. The letter and picture are now framed and occupy a spot of honor in the class.

"America needs your efforts, energy and idealism to continue to lead and excel," Bush wrote in the letter. "I encourage you to always study hard, to reach out to help those in need and to never doubt that your good heart can make a difference."

The card created for the president contained a letter and personal messages from the students.

"I just wanted to thank President Bush for all his hard work," student Nyesha Patillo said of her message.

Caleb Vaughan is just one of several students in the class whose father is serving in Iraq and had special messages for Bush.

"I feel like he is protecting us and keeping our country safe," he said of the president.

"I just wanted to thank President Bush for keeping our country safe," Nicole Cushman said of her note.

Pollock said the card and letter came about because she was looking for a writing project for the students. She said the students embraced the idea of writing to Bush, and all had a part in creating the letter and in writing their personal messages to the president.

"The letter helped students of family members serving in Iraq make a meaningful connection to our commander in chief," Pollock said. "We just wanted to thank him for serving our country."

That the students received a response from the White House has some of them feeling inspired.

"It makes me think that maybe we can grow up and could become vice president or president," Jaden Gilmore said.

Members of the class include Casey, Patillo, Vaughan, Cushman, Gilmore, Alyissa Andrews, Vi Cao, Joey Coppley, Kendrick Cushenberry, Alexis Everette, Deasha Farrow, Alexandria Godette, Marcus Harden, Samuel Harding, Joseph Kirwan, Cameron Lassiter, Angelica Lese, Akasha Peckham, Jordan Pruitt, Michaela Ramirez and Dylan Snow.