Classmates Cheer Abby’s New Life

On the first day of school, Abby Novotny’s entire class took a field trip to attend her adoption. “It was a very exciting day for her,” Anne Novotny, who has fostered Abby, 10, for three years, says. “To see Abby’s friends there, she almost cried. She was so overwhelmed.” Anne decided to invite Abby’s teacher and classmates at St. Coletta Day School of Milwaukee to witness the ceremony at the federal court when the adoption was unexpectedly scheduled on the day when classes began. “We were like, ‘Why not?’ ” says school administrator Bill Koehn. “That would be a great way to start the school year. We can all remember the day that Abby became Abby Novotny and how exciting that was.”

“Abby felt like a princess. She was so thrilled.” — Anne Novotny