By Amanda McGregor
SALEM — It all began when Anna Ginnetti-Ricci, a Salem mother of three, realized there wasn't a song out there to honor teachers — so she wrote one.
Her effort blossomed into a recording project in 2008 involving 22 schoolchildren from around Salem who sang her song "I Wonder."
"I wrote this song and we made our CD to honor our wonderful teachers and teachers everywhere," said Ginnetti-Ricci.
With the help of Salem resident Paul Wennik, they raised money and produced an enhanced CD, which sells for $10 at local stores and online. They established a nonprofit organization, the "I Wonder" Teachers Fund, with all the proceeds benefiting teachers.
The project has since generated $2,000, which Ginnetti-Ricci recently donated to the Salem Education Foundation.
She credited the project's success thus far to "the generosity of Salem parents, donors, local sales of the CD and the beautiful singing of our 22 schoolchildren."
The Salem Education Foundation (formerly the Foundation for Salem Public Education) provides grants for projects in the public schools. In fact, the Foundation gave the "I Wonder" project an initial $500 grant to help get it off the ground.
To record the song, Ginnetti-Ricci recruited children — including her own three — from schools around the city. All of them were under age 11 at the time.
Ginnetti-Ricci, who works as an aide at Collins Middle School, continues to promote the song and its message.
"(It's) a meaningful song," she said, "composed to honor teachers for all the wonderful work they do ... preparing our children to be productive, responsible and caring citizens and future leaders."
For more information on the "I Wonder" Teachers Fund, or to get a CD, visit http://iwonderteacherssong.org
