MONROE - Gasps and shouts of surprise filled the Parkside Elementary School cafeteria Friday afternoon when third graders were greeted by pen pals they have been writing to since their first semester this year.
The meeting of the two classes was organized by Monroe High School English teacher Susan Anderson and Parkside third grade teacher Anna Kenny after months of correspondence between students. Nearly 40 juniors brought bags of baked chips and fruit snacks to share with roughly two dozen younger pen pals. They also brought hand-colored Valentines.
"It's just fun," Anderson said. "They literally shrieked in the hallway."
Anderson taught the high schoolers both as sophomores and now as juniors. She said the students came up with themes for each day, from Motivational Monday to Compassion Friday.
The final day of the week was reserved for nice tasks, like sending emails to teachers and placing positive Post-Its throughout the school. Anderson's class were thinking of other ways to show compassion. While she organized the exchanges with Kenny, Anderson said the idea was her students' and noted they seemed just as excited to meet the younger letter writers.
"The idea of exchanging letters multiple times, the idea of meeting each other; that was their choice," Anderson said of her class.
During the belated Valentine's Day party, third-grade students sat down after making small talk with the high schoolers they were finally able to meet and read their most recent letters out loud to the juniors.
At one of the tables usually reserved for eating lunch, juniors Nick Schumacher and Dagan Rach sat laughing with third graders Reece McIntosh, Noah Schuh and Jaidyn Marcial. Schumacher spent the last months writing letters to Marcial about winter break activities and asking what the younger students wanted to do for a career.
Rach said he and McIntosh had been writing letters to one another about Christmas presents while McIntosh said at one point he had asked Rach what he wanted to be "when he grew up."
Kenny said the letters were meant to help her students understand the nature of questions while also engaging the third graders in an activity meant to help their social learning at a pivotal age.
"One of the big things we try to foster is having them understand learning is lifelong," Kenny said.
It also serves as an aid to ensure her students are at an expected reading level because the high schoolers first sent letters asking questions. The third-grade students then read the letters and first had to comprehend them before thinking of questions to ask in return. Especially, Kenny said, understanding the intent behind a question mark.
High schoolers spent time writing some letters entirely in idioms, with phrases like "better late than never" and "so far, so good," to help the elementary students understand meaning behind the common expressions.
"It kind of helps me be better with writing," McIntosh said.
The younger students sat in a circle, brainstorming topics to ask their junior correspondents about and thought of complex questions Kenny said she had not heard before.
"It's been fun on both ends," Anderson said, noting the students have spent time navigating the correspondence. She and Kenny, who are also friends, have been writing letters to one another and even exchanged personalized Valentines just like the kids.
As the students gathered for a large group photo to commemorate the day, a chorus of "thank you" from the third graders filled the room as the get-together ended with the school day, leaving smiles on the faces of each high school student.
The meeting of the two classes was organized by Monroe High School English teacher Susan Anderson and Parkside third grade teacher Anna Kenny after months of correspondence between students. Nearly 40 juniors brought bags of baked chips and fruit snacks to share with roughly two dozen younger pen pals. They also brought hand-colored Valentines.
"It's just fun," Anderson said. "They literally shrieked in the hallway."
Anderson taught the high schoolers both as sophomores and now as juniors. She said the students came up with themes for each day, from Motivational Monday to Compassion Friday.
The final day of the week was reserved for nice tasks, like sending emails to teachers and placing positive Post-Its throughout the school. Anderson's class were thinking of other ways to show compassion. While she organized the exchanges with Kenny, Anderson said the idea was her students' and noted they seemed just as excited to meet the younger letter writers.
"The idea of exchanging letters multiple times, the idea of meeting each other; that was their choice," Anderson said of her class.
During the belated Valentine's Day party, third-grade students sat down after making small talk with the high schoolers they were finally able to meet and read their most recent letters out loud to the juniors.
At one of the tables usually reserved for eating lunch, juniors Nick Schumacher and Dagan Rach sat laughing with third graders Reece McIntosh, Noah Schuh and Jaidyn Marcial. Schumacher spent the last months writing letters to Marcial about winter break activities and asking what the younger students wanted to do for a career.
Rach said he and McIntosh had been writing letters to one another about Christmas presents while McIntosh said at one point he had asked Rach what he wanted to be "when he grew up."
Kenny said the letters were meant to help her students understand the nature of questions while also engaging the third graders in an activity meant to help their social learning at a pivotal age.
"One of the big things we try to foster is having them understand learning is lifelong," Kenny said.
It also serves as an aid to ensure her students are at an expected reading level because the high schoolers first sent letters asking questions. The third-grade students then read the letters and first had to comprehend them before thinking of questions to ask in return. Especially, Kenny said, understanding the intent behind a question mark.
High schoolers spent time writing some letters entirely in idioms, with phrases like "better late than never" and "so far, so good," to help the elementary students understand meaning behind the common expressions.
"It kind of helps me be better with writing," McIntosh said.
The younger students sat in a circle, brainstorming topics to ask their junior correspondents about and thought of complex questions Kenny said she had not heard before.
"It's been fun on both ends," Anderson said, noting the students have spent time navigating the correspondence. She and Kenny, who are also friends, have been writing letters to one another and even exchanged personalized Valentines just like the kids.
As the students gathered for a large group photo to commemorate the day, a chorus of "thank you" from the third graders filled the room as the get-together ended with the school day, leaving smiles on the faces of each high school student.