Students from Rann Elementary in Decatur (TX, the USA), coordinated by their teacher Giselle Gutiérrez, have exchanged postcards with students from Orium Lyceum in Breda (the Netherlands), coordinated by their teacher Anna Krasko. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation, both to students and teachers, for their participation in the project and their enthusiasm. In fact, Giselle has been awfully kind and has sent me a warm e-mail of gratitude which I would like to include here since it highlights the benefits of this exchange for the students and the school, both on a personal and academic level.
Dear Diana,
I just wanted to update you on our postcard exchange. Anna Krasko from the Netherlands sent my students postcards from her students. My kids were so excited! We featured our project on our bulletin board and my school was very excited to follow this journey. My principal and many of our teachers want to take part in this project as well.
You would not believe how many kids, parents, and teachers I find outside of our classroom reading the postcards from the students in the Netherlands. This project has created an incredible conversation as kids become aware that there are other people around the world who are communicating with us.
A teacher and my principal have even asked me how they could get a pen pal for their granddaughters. I told them that I didn't know if you could get a classroom to adopt just one child and have her be a part of this amazing project.
My fellow teachers want to know if you will continue this project next year. I certainly hope so. It has been an amazing experience for my students. We just sent our postcards back to the Netherlands and we hope we can get another exchange before the end of the school year.
I would love to do this again next year. I would like to suggest that we start this early in the school year in order to allow many exchanges throughout the year. We could have so many writing experiences. Imagine how much students would learn from one another as they exchange their ideas, hopes, dreams and questions if they had more time to write to one another.
You can't imagine my students' excitement when the package from the Netherlands arrived. I have never seen them embrace writing with such gusto as when they were choosing their pen pals. They begged me to give them time to write their new friends.
I have included some pictures of my students and the postcards we received from the Netherlands. I forgot to take a picture of our postcards. I was feeling really rushed because I wanted our cards to reach the Netherlands before the end of our school year. Anna has been wonderful and her students have been amazing as well. We can't wait to get our second postcards from them.
I have attached one of the postcards from the Netherlands. All the other postcards were just as wonderful.
Sincerely,
Giselle
P.S. I can't wait to visit your blog.
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| Óscar, Mario and Fernando |
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| Stephanie, Grecia and Ashlee |
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| Jasmine, Danielle and Kimberly |
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| Abram and Giovany |
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| Yuri, Evelyn and Maria |
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| Postcard from Femke |
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