Remember writing letters to the president back in elementary school? It was exciting and momentous.
I remember mulling over my thoughts while printing my name at the top of my greenish, large lined paper because the president might actually read what I had wrote to him.
I recently asked Lines Elementary teacher Sarah Giunchedi’s third-grade class in Barrington to do the same. My request apparently had good timing since her students were working on opinion writing. Their comments now are on an opinion page!
Giunchedi said she also wrote to the president “all of the time” as a child, adding how one of her classes “even sent President Clinton a ‘Flat Stanley.'”
My prompt to her current third grade class was, “What are your hopes and dreams for our country?” I’ve highlighted some of the students’ responses and their thoughts for President Donald Trump.
Connor Raia
“I think instead of building a wall, we should try to make peace with Mexico, so we can still have avocados.”
Katelyn Uhran
“We need to let animals live and stop eating them. Imagine if you were an animal, and you were going for a walk outside, and all of a sudden you heard a loud noise and then you felt a pain in your leg. And you just fainted and died right there in the middle of your walk just because us humans just felt like shooting you.
“This has to stop. We need to eat things that grow off trees and bushes and that are healthy — not living creatures that have a life and a family. If you were just trying to have a nice time and then go home for dinner with your family, and then a human shot you and made it so you never got to see your family again, how would you feel? Think about that.”
Yatin Gade
“I think Donald J. Trump should donate money to the poor because he gets everything for free. And everyone should have a house. People should be treated fairly because if we have more wars, this world is going to fall apart.”
Maria Stanton
“I hope people don’t cut down trees because it is ruining our home environment. I hope people can live happily with no one cutting down trees and everyone having a good environment.”
Marilee Lorek
“People need to be treated fairly so they can live longer lives. Also, women should be treated the same as men. We need a girl president.”
John Cocoma
“My hope is that everyone should have a house, and my dream is that everyone should be happy and peaceful so we can live happily.”
Kaitlyn Derning
“We should have peace and let animals be free. Don’t cut down trees because we need oxygen to breath. People should be treated fairly. Everybody should have a warm house to live in. Everyone should have food.”
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Isaiah Nelson
“I hope our country has peace. I do not want our country to be a war house. I do not want to be attacked for no reason.”
Madison Boyum
“Less expensive stuff. Let animals live. Donate stuff. People treated fairly. Peace. Everyone should have a house and food.”
Aashi Shah
“We should not cut down trees because animals don’t die and they have food to live. And if you don’t cut down trees, the animals will be healthy and they will be strong.”
Miranda Feigler
“I hope that everyone should get fair rights and segregation stops.”
Nicholas Marin
“I hope people get treated the same with, at least with food and houses. I also hope for peace and joy to America.”
Grace Kopecky
“I think animals should be treated more nice. Just because a animal makes a mistake doesn’t mean you don’t feed your dog or cat! Just because your dog or cat makes a mistake doesn’t mean you be mean to the dog or cat!”
Teagan Cullen
“I think we should donate more to charity. I think we should help the poor people.”
And what message does Giunchedi send to Trump?
“Don’t underestimate the power you have as a role model to our youth,” she said.
Veritas. May God guide and bless our 45th president.
Kimberly Albrecht is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.