Menlo Park Terrace School welcomes U.S. Marine back
Cpl. Brian Josephs returns for second visit
BY ENID WEISS Correspondent
The gym/cafeteria at Menlo Park Terrace School 19 was decorated in red, white and blue, with American flags and fireworks for a party doing triple duty as it celebrated the end of the school year, the school's 51st anniversary, and the safe homecoming of Cpl. Brian Josephs.

Students and teachers, most of whom wore the colors of the day or patriotic messages on their clothing, and red, white and blue necklaces presented to them as they walked in the door, danced to music played by a student serving as a disc jockey at the party on June 23.

Josephs was the guest of honor. It's the second time since his return earlier this spring from his yearlong tour in Iraq that he has visited the school. His work as a Marine there, going out on security patrols, was dangerous work. But when he wasn't on patrol, life could get boring and lonely, and letters from home helped.

"We wanted [the children] to know they were helping us out a lot," Josephs told the Sentinel as he watched the students dance. Later, school Principal Sharon McGreevey introduced him and presented him with gifts from the school: a paperweight in the shape of a star engraved with the words "Thank you, Cpl. Josephs" and a school mug. He replied, "I just want to say thank you, everyone. This activation was very rough, and we couldn't have done it without you."

The program began as part of the school's Community of Caring project.

"As a Community of Caring school, we reach out to the community to extend our learning beyond the school," explained Mc- Greevey. "When we heard about Cpl. Josephs serving, we met with [his wife] Mrs. [Melanie] Josephs and thought of ways to reach out."

Students sent letters to Cpl. Josephs and other Marines in his unit, and held a baby wipes drive to send boxes of baby wipes to the Marines serving in Iraq, she said. About once a month the school sent over a shipment.

"When they came back and visited our school, they answered student questions and told about how much our letters meant to them. We're reaching out to other students who might have relatives serving in other armed services there. The Community of Caring is about finding out how we can touch other people's lives and how they touch ours."

Teachers also used the project in other subjects, McGreevey said. Students made cards on the computer by using special software, turning the project into a technology lesson. They also learned geography as they learned where Iraq is on a map or globe and about its climate.

"I thought it was good for the soldiers, to collect the baby wipes," fifth-grader Amanda Such said about the project. "I thought it was funny [sending baby wipes to soldiers] until I heard how hot it was."

Josephs has two stepchildren at the school. He and their mother married in 2006. Their baby wasn't even crawling around when he left. Melanie's oldest three children, and his stepchildren, also missed him. He was gone a year, which included three months in training in California and then nine months in Iraq.

"She's gone above and beyond," Melanie Josephs said of McGreevey and the school's efforts during her family's stressful time. "The kids were incredible. It was overwhelming, the amount" of support and good will.

Alexander Rojas, a fourth-grader at the school and Joseph's stepson, missed his stepdad, but said he got embarrassed when he was asked to stand in front of everyone at school to talk about it.

"I wrote him a couple of letters about football," Rojas said. "He was going to coach [Alexander's football team], and then when he got activated he couldn't do it. I told him how I missed him and how I loved him."

Now that Josephs is back, he and the kids are planning to build a fort or a treehouse in the family's backyard, Rojas said.