Students in teacher Debbie Sipola’s fourth-grade class at Hales Corners Elementary enjoyed a terrific cross-generational experience late last month when they visited their pen pals at Care-Age of Brookfield, a rehabilitation and care facility.
Students had been writing to their pen pals throughout the school year, and on May 27, they got to meet their writing mates in person. Sipola’s students visited with and interviewed their pen pals, played bingo and ate lunch with them, and organized an orchestra, piano solo and choral concert for the residents.
The oldest pen pal was 102 years old. One was a WWII veteran who showed pictures from an old photo album to his student pen pal. Each pen pal shared something special about themselves with their student. Many students will continue writing their pen pal over the summer.