 | Special Education students at Central
High School sing Christmas carols to their absent teacher,
David Aponte,
during Wednesdy's video conference. The students
rolled up their jeans 1950's style to match the rock
and roll songs they sang later in the program.
PETER THOMSON photo / La Crosse Tribune |
This article from the La Crosse Tribune is reprinted with
permission By DAN SIMMONS / La Crosse Tribune David Aponte wanted to compliment his students, who had just
sung “Happy Birthday,” “Jingle Bells”
and “Silver Bells” to him in the Central High School
media center. But he couldn’t seem to finish his sentences. “That’s very special,” he said first. Then,
“I just really appreciate that singing and.” It’s understandable, given Aponte was sitting at a military
base in Kuwait. He was watching the students on a TV screen, and
they were watching him on one, too. The connection faded in and
out, usually mid-sentence. Not that anyone minded. Aponte celebrated his 48th birthday Wednesday. The Army major
and special ed teacher has been deployed to Kuwait since August
with the 2-127 National Guard battalion out of Appleton, Wis. His students and colleagues at Central didn’t want him
to feel forgotten or alone this Christmas. “My brother’s in the Navy, and there have been many
Christmases apart,” said associate principal Lon Jorgenson.
“So I really wanted to see what we could do for David.” He contacted Bradon Holt, district Webmaster, who arranged the
technology to make the meeting possible: an Internet messenger
connection with a Web camera so the two sides could see each other. The connection cleared up after a few minutes, long enough for
Aponte to address the entire crowd, including students, colleagues
and his family. “I wish I could give all of you a hug right now,”
he said. His students responded immediately. “I hope you come home soon,” one said. “Me too,” another said. “Me three,” said another. The students have practiced their songs since early September,
never thinking they’d get to perform them in front of their
teacher. One student, Krystal Schwabe, said she’s been e-mailing
back and forth with Aponte all year. “He tells me (Kuwait’s) like a big beach with no
water,” she said, laughing. Posted December 22, 2005 |