Published: March 02, 2009 10:31 pm         

Sixth-grade class adopts Iraq soldier

Sixth-grade teacher Michelle Gilliam’s students at Coolidge Elementary School have made a new friend.

Earlier this year they adopted a soldier in Iraq, Maj. John Jochum.

“He was one of my neighbors last year and then he got sent over to war in August,” said Gilliam.

When Gilliam decided she would like to have her class adopt a soldier, she got in contact with Jochum’s wife and found out how to send things to him.

The students put together a care package for Jochum which included food, batteries, socks, T-shirts, paper and other things. They also included letters for Jochum and he responded, beginning regular correspondence.

“It just progressed from there,” said Gilliam. “My kids wanted to meet him. They kept asking, ‘Can you come to our room before school ends?’”

Through the technology of Skype, a telephone and video conferencing Internet program, the students were able to “meet” Jochum in their classroom.

“It was probably a month ago when we Skyped for the first time,” said Gilliam.

Jochum and Gilliam’s class had arranged a Skype meeting Monday, but weren’t able to make the connection, so they visited with Jochum’s wife, who now lives in Pittsburgh.

Although they were disappointed they didn’t get to talk to Jochum, they hope to talk to him a few more times before the school year ends.

“The kids absolutely love him,” said Gilliam. “(They) are so attached to him.”

The experience also has been an educational one as the students learned geography, language and writing through their correspondence with Jochum.

“We look on the map, we see where he’s at, he’ll tell us where he travels,” said Gilliam.

Gilliam’s class also is preparing to send another care package to Jochum before the school year ends.