By MICHELE MAY

By MICHELE MAY

rfc Wtw» SUff Writer

The official pen set sent from Vice President George Bush was safely locked up in the elementary school office because it was doubtlessly the most precious gift.

At least it was until the pennant came that had been autographed by the entire Washington Redskins team.

“Master” Richard Surface was glad. The fifth grader said he was “happy” and “surprised” when Redskins Chairman of the Board Jack Kent Cooke enthusiastically answered his letter from the reading lab by saying, “What a delightfill letter you wrote to me. It is one of the better ones I’ve had from a young man anywhere from 10-15 years faf age. Matter of fact, it’s one I of the better letters I’ve had In a long time from anyone.”

Cooke went on to admit, “Yes, I’m very happy to own the Redskins. They are my favorite team, too.”

And he added a personal note, “Yes, I remember your grandfather, Ross Morris, who worked on Byrnley Farm for my son, John Kent Cooke.”

Cooke was one of several dozen celebrities who responded to approximately 360 letters written by students at the high school and elementary school reading labs:

The project was nearly three years in the making, say teachers Bobbie Brochu at the elementary school and Deb Mills at the high school. The two wanted to work together on the idea, but had a hard time coordinating their planning time to develop the complicated endeavor.

Once in place, it was to require hours of research by the two teachers as they sought to locate addresses for the stars their students had chosen to correspond with. It involved some unusual reading material, too, as they scanned the screen and sports magazines at the newsstands trying to find out where to write to actors and athletes. They became expert on which recording, studios handled which vocalists, rock groups and country music stars.

They didn’t always succeed. The letter to Burt Reynolds came back three times. Thev tried the Screen