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QUEENSBURY Fifth-grade students at William H. Barton Intermediate School were shocked to hear what life is like for students in Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Sgt. David Mulcahy told them that students go to school in buildings that have no electricity or running water. There can be one teacher for 100 kids. The only book students have is the Koran and they take notes from the teachers presentations.

And most surprisingly, kids attend school only through age 11.

Once they turn 12, theyre technically a man and they go and work, he said through Facetime on Monday from where he is stationed in Afghanistan with the 101st Division.

The local students were even more surprised when they found out what happens with girls. Women can get married in their teens to a husband of their familys choosing. The legal age of marriage for women is 16 in Afghanistan.

This is the third time that Mulcahy has corresponded with the students. The connection came about because he is the son of school nurse Jackie Mulcahy. Back in December, the students sent out a care package of 25 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, treats and Queensbury clothing.

Jackie Mulcahy said the whole school chipped in to donate goodies and clothes.

In return, they got an American flag that was signed by everyone in the unit and photos of the soldiers wearing the Queenbury shirts that the school donated to them, she said.

Her son, who has been in the military six years, decided to correspond with students using the video conference application Facetime.

We ended up doing a Facetime with him so we could ask him some questions and really get the kids to have a face to the name that weve been sending packages to, said teacher Nicole Enny-Tully.

They are idolizing these men and I think its great, she added.

Lisa Higleys special education students also got to listen to the Facetime chat.

Mulcahy said he has helped establish schools during his time in Afghanistan. The soldiers helped secure the area, so engineers could come and build the school.

Mulcahy said he is looking forward to coming home in June.

Enny-Tully asked Mulcahy if there was anything else the soldiers might like. Baby wipes, he said.

Thats how we take showers out here, he said.

More laundry detergent also would be helpful, he said. The soldiers do their laundry by hand-washing their clothes in soapy water, rinsing them in water and hanging them out to dry.

The soldiers also need socks, he said.

These dudes lose socks more than anybody Ive ever seen, he said.

Mulcahy said the soldiers must change their socks three times a day to prevent blisters from all their marching around in boots.

The students also wanted to send board games to the soldiers.

Mulcahy thanked the students for their gifts and well wishes.

I really appreciate the support from you back home. We couldnt do what we do here without you, he said.

His unit was about to leave on a mission.

Some bad guys are doing some bad things, so were getting called out to stop them, he said.

Students were surprised how different life is in Afghanistan.

I think it was cool that they built schools for the kids, said 11-year-old Jacob Blaise.

Caleigh Johnson, 11, said she liked helping the soldiers.

We have been sending Girl Scout cookies and letters to give our thanks, she said.

Enny-Tully said students got to see life from a different perspective.

When youre 11 years old, you think your world is the world, she said.

You can read Michael Goots blog A Time to Learn at http://www.poststar.com or his updates on Twitter @ps_education.

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Students chat with soldier about Afghanistan - Glens Falls Post-Star