To: Freida Wright, Operation Christmas Child Field Representative
From: Janet Schliff, Special Education Teacher, Ulster County BOCES
Re: Operation Christmas Child
Date: 11/17/02
Thank you very much for the books and especially the pin. When Judy Butler presented the pin to me, I was very touched and I wore it all week as my class prepared the boxes for this year’s project. Judy said you would like a write-up about how I got so many boxes filled since my class is a leader locally in a public school setting. This was an excellent compliment to get and I’d be glad to share our story….
My class is an Ulster County BOCES special education life skills class located at the Rondout Valley Middle School in Accord, NY. For the six years we’ve been involved with OCC, we have been in various public schools but the last two years we have been in this one. Because this project starts at my church (Fishkill Baptist), I need to get permission from my supervisor. I have had that granted from various supervisors along the way but most recently from Ms. Anne Kelly. Then, I need to get permission from the building principal of the middle school we are located in (Mr. Ray Palmer). Both of these people are supportive of this idea and for that I am grateful. That is how I am able to proceed.
After that, I write a letter to my colleagues and the parents of my students (see attachment). I decorate a large bulletin board by the office with pictures from the information kits (you’ll see pictures I’m forwarding soon). My class decorates large boxes with Christmas wrapping paper and we leave them in the offices in our school for staff to donate their items. We empty those boxes periodically as they tend to overflow due to a generous staff like I am fortunate to work with at Rondout Valley Middle School.
In our arts and crafts lessons this year, we decorated the shoe boxes we were given since we didn’t have the usual OCC red and green ones. We used stickers and stamps. This took lots of time and patience to make the boxes look special! My staff was very helpful with this section of the story. Some of my students also chose to decorate boxes during their free choice time.
On the day we call “Operation Christmas Child Headquarters Day” (this year – November 15th), our classroom is virtually turned into what I refer to as “Santa and his helpers.” With my guidance, my staff and students sort all of the items donated into four categories (toiletries/school supplies/toys or candies/clothing). But before any sorting can start, we begin by watching the video provided. Since it is a public school, I turn down the volume when Franklin Graham speaks of God since I’m not allowed to teach that. What I speak about through that section (and when it is mentioned other times), is that love for others less fortunate than ourselves is our focus. You need to know that some of my students come from homes that are less fortunate than most, but when they watch the video, they see there are others worse off than themselves. One student in my class who is in foster care asked me after this year’s screening, “Ms. Schliff – can I send those kids my money?” which was truly touching and led to an excellent discussion….
The viewing of that video is so moving, it motivates everyone to get to work – and work we did! We filled shoe boxes from 9:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. with only a 40-minute break for lunch/recess and then a 10-minute unexpected fire drill. When that bell went off for the drill, we were frantic only because we had so much left to do and it was the very end of the day. But – it all got done and we filled 80 shoe boxes! When we began this project just six years ago, I was proud of the 13 we filled then. We’ve come a long way! Next, the boxes were loaded into my [small] car (which, if this increased rate keeps us, I’ll be car shopping soon) and delivered to Fishkill Baptist on Sunday to be part of the dedication ceremony.
I believe Operation Christmas Child does and can belong in a public school. I do it without preaching to anyone. I teach about taking care of others and colleagues can join in or not. I have never heard anything negative about it, only positive comments ever. I just think our world needs more ideas like this….
Thank you for asking to hear how we did it. I’m thrilled that my class did so much to help those children in other places who have so little.
CC: Anne Kelly
Marlene Anderson-Butler
I (Douglas Winslow Cooper) have been excerpting, weekly, material from this almost-final version of the fine book by Janet Johnson Schliff, M.S. Ed., which she wrote over a three-year period with some coaching and editing help from me, through my business, Write Your Book with Me.
Her memoir is now available in paperback and ebook formats from Outskirts Press and amazon.com:
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BOOK TALKS AND SIGNINGS
More talks are being planned for the spring of 2019… she can be contacted at 845.336.7506 (home) or 845.399.1500 (cell).
Janet Johnson Schliff spoke at the Oblong Books Bookstore in Rhinebeck, NY, on Tuesday, February 6 at 6 p.m.
Janet was on WKNY Radio 1490 in Kingston, NY, on Thursday, March 1 at 9:10 a.m.
Janet spoke at Barnes & Noble in Kingston, NY, on Saturday, March 3 at 1 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck, NY, on March 6 at 7 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Golden Notebook Bookstore in Woodstock, NY, on March 17 at 2 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff, NY, on March 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Janet spoke at RCAL in Kingston, NY, on April 3 at 4 p.m. [They gave her an impromptu book-launch party.]
Janet spoke at the Parkinson's Support Group at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck, NY, on April 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Stone Ridge Library in Stone Ridge, NY, on April 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Hurley Library in Hurley, NY, on May 4 at 6 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Kingston Library in Kingston, NY, on May 9 at 6 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Staatsburg Library in Staatsburg, NY, on May 14 at 7 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Clinton Community Library in Rhinebeck, NY, on May 31 at 6:30 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, NY, on June 9 at noon.
Janet spoke at the Gardiner Library in Gardiner, NY, on June 11 at 7 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Marbletown Community Center in Stone Ridge, NY, on June 20 at 6 p.m.
Janet was interviewed on radio station WTBQ-FM (93.5) on June 29 at 12 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Esopus Library in Port Ewen, NY, on July 13 at 7 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Pine Plains Library in Pine Plains, NY, on July 20 at 6 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Ulster Library in Kingston, NY, on July 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Northern Dutchess Bible Church in Red Hook, NY, on August 11 at 1 p.m.
Janet spoke at a writers' group in Rosendale, NY, on August 30 at 2 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz, NY, on September 6 at 7 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Adriance Library in Poughkeepsie, NY, on September 15 at 2:30 p.m.
Janet was interviewed on radio station WRIP-FM (97.9) on September 21 at 8 a.m.
Janet again spoke at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, NY, on September 22 at noon.
Janet spoke at the Enchanted Cafe in Red Hook, NY, on September 28 at 7 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Hyde Park Library in Hyde Park, NY, on October 4 at 7 p.m.
Janet participated in an Author Weekend at the Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie, NY, on October 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Tivoli Library in Tivoli, NY, on October 22 at 5:30 p.m.
Janet’s interview for the TV program Wake Up with Marci on the You Too America Channel aired on Monday, November 5, and Friday, November 9. It can now be found on the Internet.
Janet spoke at the Germantown Library in Germantown, NY, on November 7 at 6:00 p.m.
Janet participated in the Red Hook Middle School's College and Career Cafe in Red Hook, NY, on December 19 at 10:30 a.m.
Janet spoke at the Poughkeepsie Brain Injury Support Group at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall in Poughkeepsie, NY, on Saturday, February 23 at noon.
Janet spoke at the Stanford Free Library in Stanfordville, NY, on Saturday, March 9 at 10:00 a.m.
Janet spoke at the Howland Library in Beacon, NY, on Wednesday, March 20 at 1:00 p.m.
Janet spoke at the West Hurley Library in West Hurley, NY, on Saturday, March 23 at 1:00 p.m.
Janet spoke at the East Fishkill Library in Hopewell Junction, NY, on Monday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Janet spoke at the Grinnell Library in Wappingers Falls, NY, on Saturday, March 30 at 10:30 a.m.
Janet spoke at the Dover Plains Library in Wingdale, NY, on Friday, April 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Janet participated in an Author Talk at the Saugerties Library in Saugerties, NY, on Saturday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m.
Janet will speak at the Red Hook Community Center in Red Hook, NY, on Wednesday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m.
Janet will speak at St. Timothy's Church in Hyde Park, NY, on Sunday, May 5 at 11:00 a.m.
Janet will speak at the Moffat Library in Washingtonville, NY, on Saturday, May 11 at 1:00 p.m.
Janet will speak at the Beekman Library in Hopewell Junction, NY, on Saturday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m.
Janet will speak at the Pleasant Valley Library in Pleasant Valley, NY, Tuesday, May 28 at 6 p.m.
Janet will speak at the Blodgett Memorial Library in Fishkill, NY, on Saturday, June 8 at 1:00 p.m.
More talks are being planned for 2019… contact her at 845.336.7506 (h) or 845.399.1500 (c).
More signings will be coming up. A fine feature about Janet by John DeSantos [845 LIFE] appeared in the Middletown Times Herald-Record on Monday, March 12, as part of Brain Injury Awareness Month. An article about her book was just published in the May 2018 Living Rhinebeck Magazine. An article about her book appeared in the May 14 Daily Freeman of Kingston, NY. and another in the Family Life section of the Poughkeepsie Journal on June 8th. The Millerton News published an article on Thursday, August 2, about her talk at the Pine Plains Library.
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