Elders and Third graders Team Up to Preserve the Art of Letter Writing and Cursive Script with Pen Pals Program

Senior residents from Watermark’s The Hacienda at the Canyon and 26 third graders from Lineweaver Elementary School will meet their year-long Pen Pal partners for the first time at a reception at the school, this Thursday, May 9th, 1:30PM at Lineweaver Elementary School.

Created by Missy Paschke-Wood, Associate Executive Director at The Hacienda at the Canyon with Christy Masengarb, third grade teacher at Lineweaver, the program aims to teach children the diminishing art of letter writing and cursive as well as how to express themselves via the written word. Twenty-six third graders were paired with seniors and they exchanged a dozen letters throughout the year. Christy Masengarb said the project has brought different generations together. In addition, it taught students how to thoughtfully compose a handwritten letter in cursive, something that is no longer taught in most schools.

“This may sound like a small thing, but in an era of texting and tweets, letter writing is a form of communication that could easily be lost to this generation,” Masengarb said. “I love that they’re developing an understanding of what it means to choose words carefully, with thought and consideration.” Missy Paschke-Wood said elder residents were very happy to participate. “Many of our residents joked that they were brushing up on their own cursive.”

The Hacienda at the Canyon resident Suzette, said the experience was very moving. “Connecting with someone who is 8 or 9 years old and finding out her perception of someone who is 84 was very intriguing! She wrote me and said, ‘I really like you,’ and I had a little tear in my eye.” At the May 9 event, the students will give a short performance followed by a reception with cookies and other treats where they will get to know their pen pals in person.