An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Michael Anderson Elementary burns DVDs for deployed parents

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kristian Carter
  • 92nd ARW Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Michael Anderson Elementary School has developed a program to provide DVDs of school performances to deployed parents. 

The school has been taping the students' programs for posterity and as a teaching tool for the children, said Diana Murphy, library media specialist. After the performances, the teachers play the videos for the kids. By showing the videos to the children, the teachers are better able to keep the kids focused during the performances, she said. 

The idea for transferring the programs from tape to DVD to send to deployed parents came from the school's principal, Dale Lamphere, she said. 

Ms. Murphy said the principal told them he was "in Korea for a year and I missed everything the kids were doing. Our Soldiers and Airmen are doing these great thing for us, but they're missing out on their kindergarteners' play. 

"I just thought we ought to try to create videos for the parents," said Mr. Lamphere. "This is our way of helping to keep the parents who are deployed connected with their kids." 

After school performances, the faculty invites people to submit names and addresses for deployed parents. Ms. Murphy then uses a computer program to transfer the video from a tape to DVD. The school is handling the materials and manpower to purchase, create and mail the DVDs to the deployed parent. 

The real drive for this program is to close the gap between parent and child. 

"I like the reward for the parent who is deployed and reports back to the family at home, 'I got the DVD, I saw the program and you were fabulous,'" said Ms. Murphy. "The movies are bringing the parents closer to the kids." 

Ms. Murphy said this program can also be used to capture graduation ceremonies this spring. 

The school is trying to acquire newer equipment that will allow the children to help with the editing process, said Mr. Lamphere. 

Ms. Murphy estimates she has sent more than three dozen videos to deployed parents this year.