.......................................................................................................Note:  Please respond by May 4th...................................

To all faculty and staff of Middletown District,

Good morning,

          My name is Abby Winter and I currently teach 4th grade at Middletown Village.  I am sure that everyone has been hearing about the terrible tragedies at Virginia Tech and that Julia Pryde, who was killed there, was a resident of Middletown.  I have been best friends with Julia since 2nd grade.  My friends and I were responsible for putting together the candlelight vigil held in her honor last Friday night at HS North. 

Upon entering the football field, we set up a table where people could make donations to a non-profit organization that Julia was the Vice-President of called S.E.E.D.S (Seek Education, Explore and DiScover).  I will give you the website that has tons of information about their organization, but here is just a little something: 

SEEDS is a 501(c)(3) charitable educational organization that creates inquiry-based, discovery oriented activities for everyone. SEEDS cherishes the tenet of education by complementing and supplementing existing educational programs. We facilitate a learning awareness from an ecological perspective by emphasizing life's cycles, sustainable living, civic, and cultural awareness. Through travel, study, and play, SEEDS stresses the importance of independent thought, creativity, and strengthening community by the participation of everyone involved in the process of learning. Seek Education, Explore, DiScover - SEEDS has a mission to develop future leaders as people conducting themselves with civic responsibility and accountability in a sustainable society. SEEDS works with public schools, private schools, and home schooling groups on providing supplemental curriculum (SEEDS style!) that meets the needs of accelerated, very active, and curious students alike.  SEEDS helps to provide families help with studying and energy release after school! Tired of computer games and TV? Well, spend a few hours with SEEDS each month and discover that your sense of adventure and curiosity likes the real world better than cyberspace!  Antarctica, the North Pole, and anywhere in-between, these trips are designed to give youth some experience in exploring environments and new cultures. An important aspect of these experiences is to give youngsters a chance to present their interpretations of what they saw to the community around them. 

Being that S.E.E.D.S is a program that works with children and educational needs, I would love to be able give back to them as much money as possible.  I am asking that in honor of Julia and all the wonderful work she did for children, you donate money to the S.E.E.D.S foundation so that they can keep their organization running and keep inspiring the children of the future to want to learn.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts, prayers and kind words during this extremely hard time. 

* Please send all donations to Abby Winter c/o Middletown Village via interoffice mail. by May 4th
**Checks can be made to SEEDS

Sincerely,

Abby Winter

http://www.seedsguys.org/index.html