Video: Air Force colonel says 'thanks' to school
Sheila Yerdon's first period sixth-grade English class got a crash course in geography and social studies Monday morning.
Not from a book, though. That day's lesson came in the form of a tall, lanky man dressed in fatigues.
Air Force Col. Tim Sakulich visited Athena Middle School to thank students for writing to him and his comrades while they were stationed in South Korea. His son, Michael, 12, is a sixth-grader at Athena.
Sakulich, on leave for two weeks, brought his wife, Diane, to school. He joked that the visit was like "show and tell" for their son.
"Mike, is that your mom?" one classmate asked across the room.
"Yes," Michael replied, squirming a bit in his seat. Later on, he brought his parents around to his other classes, introducing his dad to his teachers.
Yerdon has her students write to service people every year. Receiving notes and drawings is "always exciting" when it's from kids, she added.
It's hard to describe what the letters mean to the men and women, especially those away from home for the first time, Sakulich told the class.
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<param name="wmode" value="transparent" />width="425" height="355" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fm6WyXyOvccrel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object> "It was just a great reminder of all the wonderful things back home," he said. After his thanks, the class fired questions at him. What's your job? What do you eat? How far away is South Korea? Do they have an Abercrombie & Fitch? He could answer almost all of their questions, but wasn't sure about the last one. The kids weren't sure about the cuisine Sakulich told them about. He rattled off the first ingredient in kimchi - cabbage - and got an "Ew" from one boy. The groans grew as he explained how the dish is left out to ferment. Sixth-grader Eli VanOrman had two questions. The first was if Sakulich can speak Korean. Yes, Sakulich said, speaking a few phrases. The kids tried them out, too. Eli then asked if Sakulich has ever eaten dog meat. No, Skulich replied chuckling, adding that he doesn't think he ever will. "Good!" Eli said with a sigh of relief. Michael said his dad told him all about Korean life when he came home. "He did a good job (talking to the class) and I think everyone enjoyed it," he said. During his 24 years of service, Sakulich has been to Colombia, Honduras, England, Germany, France, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait. "And one of the things I've learned is how really lucky we are to be born in this country," Sakulich told the kids. His family has lived in almost as many places as he's worked, relocating every two to three years. They moved to Greece last summer. Son Jonathan is a sophomore at Athena High, daughter Katie is a Rochester Institute of Technology student and twins Emma and Elizabeth go to Autumn Lane. Both said Greece has been "incredibly welcoming" to them and their children. "This is probably the easiest transition we've made," Diane Sakulich said. They'll learn soon if they need to make another one. This time of year is the hardest part, said Diane Sakulich. That's when her husband learns where he'll be stationed and whether the family moves, too. For now, though, the family will spend the rest of dad's leave "hanging out," Michael said. <em>Greece Post writer Colleen M. Farrell can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 265, or at cfarrell@mpnewspapers.com.