October 17th arrived and students were absolutely thrilled to receive their pen pal letters. We spent the class learning how to address envelopes and correctly respond to a formal letter. These skills are ones that we tend to take for granted or even perform begrudgingly at times, but these will be invaluable skills for students to have in the workforce and empower them in their endeavors beyond 6th grade.
When it came time to open the letters, an absolute rush of excitement enraptured the room. Students began hovering over our world map to see the locations they were receiving letters from and shouts of, “I have a doctor!”, “Mine’s an engineer!” filled the room. Some students even began immediately sitting down to diligently brainstorm a response letter because they were so enthralled by the stories you all had to share.
At the beginning of this year, I struggled with the realization that many of my students could not correctly name what country we live in or the difference between a city and a state. Letters to a Pre-scientist not only provides them an opportunity to practice their writing and a view of the vast range of careers available in science, but also a priceless geographical understanding and a desire to make global connections. For these facts alone, I want to extend my deepest appreciation for your commitment to be a pen pal and an inspiration! I hope that their stories provide you a glimpse into their reality and that you will as well be impacted by what you will learn from these students over the course of this year.
2nd quarter writing prompts will be coming soon and as always, please feel free to reach out at any time if you have questions about our program.