Dear Byrd School 5th Graders from Room 405,

I first heard about your project to get a new school last week when I listened to a recording (on-line) of "This American Life." For the last 6 years I have been working on a book about teachers and students who get involved in community or global action projects as part of the regular school day (not an after-school club). I have gone to Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Oklahoma, Northern California and upstate New York to learn from the students and teachers who are bold and brave enough to do this work as part of school.

Well, after I heard you on the radio, I got the idea to look up Byrd Elementary on the web and find the telephone number. With my heart beating a bit with nervousness about calling up a complete stranger, I dialed 773.534.8430 and asked to speak to Mr. Schultz. But instead of being connected to your teacher, I was put on the phone with Mr. Gartner!

I explained my book project and he said I should talk to Mr. Schultz. He and I had a great conversation and have had a few more since that time. Today, he called me to tell me about your incredible website!!!  I have just spent quite a while reading it all and I am even more excited about your work.

Mr. Schultz told me that students handle the schedule for this project. I would like to come on May 24th (Monday) and stay that whole week. What do you think of this idea?

I would like to interview volunteers and also interview any other community members who know about your project (like the people you live with or even some of your friends in other grades if you think they know a lot).

This is my third book so I can assure you that it will be written, but I want to warn you that in publishing it takes a VERY long time for the book to come out. You will be in 7th or maybe at the beginning of 8th grade when it's finally in print. But we will have to stay in touch so I can send you your copy!

I also plan on bringing a camera person to videotape. Will that be okay?

Before I hit "send" I should tell you a little bit about myself: I am a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. I am 47 years old, and don't have any children. I have been a teacher all my life (I decided to be a teacher when I was in 4th grade) and taught for 7 years in Chicago. (In South Shore. Have you been there? There's a great beach--Rainbow Beach--that was just around the corner from my school and apartment.)

I also have lived in Vermont, Connecticut, Ohio, Georgia, New Jersey, Saipan (an island so small located in the South Pacific that I bet you can't even find it on a map) and also Japan (where I went to high school).

All that moving around got me over being a very shy child and now I just love to meet new people and get them talking to me, telling me their stories.

The work you have been doing since December is so amazing, I hope you want me to come and spend a week in Room 405.

Sincerely,
Celia Oyler, Ph.D.