In a news release Friday, Dentistry for Children and Family Orthodontics in Sandy Springs announced it is making homemade snowflakes to help restore a little childhood magic to the lives of the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Last month, 26 students and teachers were killed in in one of the worst mass shootings in the nation’s history.

The Atlanta-based practice, which has 36 locations serving the metro area, has joined the National PTA’s nationwide effort to craft unique homemade snowflakes to decorate the children’s new school building, an unused middle school located 7 miles away from Newtown in Monroe, Conn.

Thus far, patients, their families and staff members have used snowflake-making art supplies available at each Dentistry for Children and Family Orthodontics office to create hundreds of hand-crafted flakes. The offices will continue their snowflake-making initiatives until Tuesday, when they will be packaged and shipped to the Connecticut PTSA.

“Our mission is to give children healthy smiles, therefore the sadness and terror the Sandy Hook students experienced simply devastated us,” said Natalie Copeland, director of dental health education. “No one can imagine what that community is going through, but everyone wants to help. The National PTA project is a great way for people, especially other children, to do that. Our wonderful patients and families have completely embraced this project, and we’re thrilled to see the beautiful results.”

Copeland said Dentistry for Children and Family Orthodontics encourages families making snowflakes at home to bring them to the Sandy Springs branch (5590 Roswell Road, Suite 290, in the Prado shopping center) before the shipping deadline.

“Even though we know only time will mend the broken hearts in Newtown, we are glad there’s a way to express our sympathies and inspire a little hope,” she said. Donations can be made to the Connecticut PTA at www.ctpta.org, and snowflakes can be mailed directly to CTPTA at 60 Connolly Pkwy., Building 12, Suite 103, Hamden, Conn. 06514. Residents who have questions can call (203) 281-6617.

Information: visit www.PTA.org, www.Dentistry4Children.com or www.WeFixYourSmile.com.