MEMORIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT DEVELOPS LITERACY BOOKS FOR STUDENTS IN INDIA

Alphabet Books Dedicated to Amar Viswanath

 May 25, 2004, Middlebury/Southbury—Laura Beth Schmidt, an eighth grader at Memorial Middle School in Middlebury, wanted to make a difference in others’ lives, thousands of miles away, in honor of her childhood friend who died of cystic fibrosis last fall. Although she may never meet the recipients, Laura Beth is working with other students to make alphabet books for girls and boys in India who do not know how to read or write.

Last spring, then-seventh grader Amar Viswanath invited Laura Beth, known by her friends as LB, to India where the Viswanaths have a second home. Amar got increasingly sicker and they had to cancel the trip. After Amar’s death, his parents extended the invitation again to Laura Beth to come to India during Thanksgiving to see the school that they are creating in Amar’s memory. What she saw surprised her.

“Typically, only the rich people in India go to school,” said Laura Beth, “and the poorer people don’t get that chance. The Viswanaths are building a school near their house in India so families that don’t have a lot of money can send their children to learn how to read and write. I was really amazed by this and wanted to help somehow.”

Laura Beth Schmidt returned to Memorial Middle School with an idea about how to contribute toward the school’s success. Enlisting the help of over two dozen Memorial Middle School students, Laura Beth is leading a project to create thirty alphabet books for the students in India. Each page has a letter, written in block letter style, at the top of the paper. Laura Beth gave a list of words for each letter to the middle school students; these are words with which the students in India would be familiar.

The Viswanath family will be bringing the alphabet books to the school children when they go to India this summer.

Amar Viswanath died last September of cystic fibrosis. Each book has a photograph and dedication to Amar on the inside cover.

“We’ve all had a fun time making these alphabet books,” said Laura Beth, “and I hope the kids in India enjoy them too. It’s just another way that the spirit of Amar lives on.”