Massapequa Students Connect Through Writing

From Massapequa School District: Students in two second-grade classes in the Massapequa School District may live on opposite sides of the community, but they feel a strong connection. The children have become pen pals, and are getting to know each other through an old-fashioned way of communication — letters.

Teachers Mary Anne Ferraro at McKenna Elementary School in the north end of the district and Janeen Signorile at Birch Lane Elementary School on the southside arranged to have their students communicate throughout the school year. Ms. Ferraro’s second-graders wrote the initial set of letters, in which each child included some personal information such as his or her birthday, hobbies and interests, and drew a self-portrait. Then, Ms. Signorile’s students wrote similar letters back, which they sent in decorated envelopes.

Ms. Signorile has a student in her class, Ava Przedwiecki, who attended McKenna last year and had Ms. Ferraro as her first-grade teacher. That spawned the idea for the partnership. The goal by the end of the year is to have students write full-page letters to their pen pals.

Photos courtesy of Massapequa School District:

(Image 1) Birch Lane Elementary School second-graders, from left, Kelsie Lanning, Ava Przedwiecki, Jack Hymes and Owen Lavey showed the first letters they received from their pen pals at McKenna Elementary School.

(Image 2) Harrison Smith and Lily Rothwell worked on their response letters and self-portraits.