KIDS OF CONSCIENCE; CHILDREN RAISE FUNDS TO ASSIST WAR'S VICTIMS.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Daily News Staff Writer

The daily routine of reading and writing at Red Oak Elementary School was briefly interrupted this week by the war in Yugoslavia.

Armed with a video and a three-page speech, the Student Council went to each of the school's 26 classrooms on Monday, raising not only awareness of what was happening thousands of miles away but money for ethnic Albanian children displaced from Kosovo.

``When I was watching all the news reports and the devastation that was occurring in that country and how they were completely blameless for what was happening to them, it completely broke my heart,'' said teacher Kathryn Dusek, who came up with the fund-raising idea.

On Friday she carried the fruits of her labor, a box full of envelopes containing donations from each of the classrooms at the K-5 school.

``I know that children just naturally want to help people who are in trouble,'' said Dusek, who teaches first grade. ``And I knew if they did a fund-raiser like this we would get a wonderful response and I think that is exactly what has been happening.''

With the endorsement of Principal Jeff Hamlin, Dusek ran with her idea, writing speeches tailored to fit the various grade levels, and researching the organizations to send the money to.

``I picked Save the Children because I liked the idea being money from our kids to their kids,'' Dusek said. ``The kids, they just feel terrible for what is happening, they want to help and they want to make the world a better place and hopefully that is what we are going to do.''

The money will be counted over the weekend and mailed Monday. So far, Dusek has counted three envelopes, each containing almost $200. Close to 600 students attend the school.

``I think it was a good idea to help raise money so that they could get what they want and redo their life,'' said student body President McCall Commans, 10.

McCall and the other 35 members of the Student Council, ages 9-11, went in pairs to give the 15-minute presentation that included a news clip on the war from Nickelodeon's ``Nick News'' and Dusek's explanation of the conflict.

``I feel sorry for the kids in Kosovo,'' said Daelan Blankfein, 10, student body treasurer. ``I think they should get over with the war so the kids could go back home and have a happy life like the kids over here.''

Since NATO began its bombing in March to stop Serb persecution, about 780,000 ethnic Albanians have left Kosovo, nearly half of its prewar population.

Second-grade teacher Nina Johnson said the students did a good job presenting what was going on in war-torn Kosovo without including the ``blood or gore.''

The presentation ``was on their level,'' she said. ``The children enjoyed it.''

She said her students learned how other children who looked like their friends on the playground lost their homes, families and freedom.

``Personally, I think our children are so privileged,'' she said. ``It's good for them to see that not everyone in the world is as blessed as they are.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Brooke Cowgill, left, and Sarah Weissman keep track of funds raised to aid refugees.

(2--Color) Students in first-grade teacher Kathryn Dusek's class designed envelopes for the Kosovo donations.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News