Villa Maria School and Pennies for Peace
September 18, 2009
Dear Parents
This year our theme is Make a World of Difference. During this school year our students will be studying about a particular country in their class and will be working on an outreach program either locally or across the globe. However I would like to kick off the year with a small program to get our students involved right away. I have asked the students during the rest of this month and throughout the month of October to bring in pennies as part of a "Pennies for Peace" campaign.
We are asking that the children either donate money that they have earned either through allowance or chores or perhaps some they have saved. We would like the money to come from the students themselves and not to simply ask you for some change. The students have already seen a short video regarding Pennies for Peace and further information is accessible on the web at www.penniesforpeace.org if you would like further details. During these months the students will also be spending some time studying about this region of the world with their homeroom classes.
"Pennies for Peace" is a program of Central Asia Institute (CAI), founded by Greg Mortenson - author of the #1 New York Times best seller, Three Cups of Tea. CAI is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that promotes and provides community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia. Founded in 1996, CAI has built, to date, nearly 100 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which serve more than 28,000 students - over 14,000 of whom are girls.
How can a penny bring peace? It doesn't buy much in our community. However, in the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan, a penny can buy a pencil, start an education, and transform a life. In a region where terrorist organizations recruit uneducated, illiterate children, that pencil can empower a child to read, write, and learn. Our students will join tens of thousands of students around the world who are participating in the "Pennies for Peace" program. Our students will learn how even the smallest of things, a penny, can help to make a difference in our world.
If you have any questions about "Pennies for Peace", you can visit their website or do feel free to contact me either by phone 322-5886 ext 120 or by email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Thanks
Nancy Kennedy
Social Worker