In her letter to an American “hero” deployed overseas with the military, Koren Henderson mentioned her hobby: dancing.

“I (also) thanked them for serving our country,” the first-grader at Creekside Elementary School said.

Koren’s mom serves in the Navy, so she knows what it’s like to miss someone. “Probably, like, a month or two,” she said when asked the length of the longest deployment.

The student in Tracy Terwilliger’s class was among 100 Creekside first-graders who wrote letters to the troops earlier this month.

Operation Gratitude, an organization that annually sends more than 150,000 care packages and letters of appreciation to deployed troops, veterans, wounded warriors, care-givers and first responders, will distribute the Creekside students’ letters.

Terwilliger said the assignment was one of two formal letter-writings required of first-graders each semester.

“Last year, we did a letter to the president,” she said, though the White House didn’t reply.

Terwilliger said the letters-to-troops lesson was one the kids could understand, being from such a big military area. “I have a lot of children who have their parents deployed,” she said. “They were able to relate to it and understand it.”

A brainstorming session preceded the putting of pen to paper; the classes discussed questions they should ask, Terwilliger said.

Students were given a wordbank, before sentences were crafted as a group; but they were encouraged to individualize their missives, and did so.

“I am in first grade and I have a pet dog. (His) name is T.J.,” wrote Micah, who signed off: “I hope you see your family soon.”

Connor Hanley wrote: “I am in first grade, and I want to see the Lego movie. Why do you have work to do? I hope you come home safely.”

Connor said his dad served in the Navy, and was deployed overseas “a long time ago; I was probably a baby.”

He said the family of whoever receives his letter should appreciate it, because they “miss them and don’t want them to go away. And they love them.”

Mara McNichols also wrote about the Lego movie. She said her dad was in the Navy “and went out on a submarine.”

Each letter starts: “Dear Hero,” and envelopes were addressed “U.S. Soldier.”

Koren said she hopes her letter makes someone happy.