First and Fifth Graders Connect Through Pen Pal Project

First-grade students at Richland Elementary engaged in a heartwarming letter-writing exchange with fifth graders from Eden Hall this year, fostering academic growth and school connections. Following four months of letter writing, the students met in person on the Richland Elementary playground on May 12. 

The pen pal project paired the first-grade classes of Madeline Anderson, Paula Ferris and Bonnie Allessi with the three fifth-grade English language arts classes of Nicole Kelly. This initiative provided a practical application of language arts skills for both age groups. For the younger students, it offered a meaningful way to practice their reading, writing and grammar, while fifth graders honed their ability to tailor their writing for a specific purpose and audience.

The collaboration began in January when Mrs. Anderson reached out to Mrs. Kelly, recalling the positive impact of past Reading Buddies and Writing Buddies programs. "I remembered how eager my class was to write to their pen pal and how their writing improved because their words carried meaning when writing to a real person!" Mrs. Anderson explained. Mrs. Allessi also fondly remembered past interactions, such as fourth-grade classes performing poems for younger students.

The first graders eagerly embraced the opportunity to connect with their older peers and posed a variety of questions. Mrs. Anderson's students inquired about their pen pals' hobbies, siblings, favorite colors, sports and shows. The fifth graders reciprocated with similar questions and shared insights into their studies.

Mrs. Allessi’s students wanted to know what things are really like at Eden Hall, asking about homework, as well as about students’ pets and favorite sports. In Mrs. Ferris's class, the first graders were excited to learn about their pen pals' interests outside of school, their favorite subjects and what they were currently studying.

For many of Mrs. Allessi’s first graders, this was the first time that anyone had ever written to them. "They really couldn’t wait for the letters to come!" she noted, highlighting the valuable lessons learned in addressing and structuring letters, as well as the art of responding.

At their playground meet-up, fifth graders read books to the first graders, and then the first graders showed off their playground to their older peers. 

Mrs. Anderson’s first graders learned that writing carries meaning. Their words to their pen pal needed to make sense so that their pen pal could respond. They learned about friendly-letter format for the parts of a letter. The drafting process became an opportunity to review sentence structure, grammar, handwriting and the application of phonics as they decoded words in the letters. The project motivated them to try to improve both their reading and writing skills to be able to read their letter on their own and improve their replies each time.

Mrs. Ferris’s first graders were thrilled to connect with the big kids from Eden Hall as they learned the real-world importance of strong writing skills as an effective means of communication. This project provided a clear why behind their grammar lessons and writing assignments.

Reflecting on the experience, Mrs. Kelly noted the valuable lessons her fifth graders learned in focusing their writing for a specific audience, a departure from much of their text-dependent work. "This was a wonderful opportunity for my students to consider who was on the receiving end of their letters," she said, adding hope for the project's continuation in future years.

Mrs. Allessi emphasized the positive connection forged between the two schools and the community-building aspect of the exchange. Mrs. Ferris echoed this sentiment, highlighting the project's role in applying classroom language arts lessons in a meaningful way, fostering friendships and creating lasting memories.

Mrs. Anderson shared the palpable enthusiasm of her students. "My students asked me almost every day if we received letters from Eden Hall! It truly provided meaningful learning in English language arts."

"I won’t forget the excitement and eagerness that my students had with this project,” said Mrs. Kelly. “To see the students understand the importance of the assignment and take ownership of it was truly wonderful."