Helping Each Other
ASK ANY Alachua County student what they most like about the end of the school year and you will get a myriad of answers. But would you expect anyone to not want the school year to end? Surprisingly, one group of students is a bit unhappy that summer's arrival has brought an end to their "palling around".
For the second year in a row, the students in Barbara Copeland's class at Metcalfe Elementary have taken part in the Altrusa-Metcalfe Pen Pal Project. Once or twice a month throughout the school year, the fourth graders have corresponded with members of Altrusa International of Gainesville, Inc., sharing sibling antics, pet stories, and future ambitions. The 2003-4 project was so successful that Nancy Griffin, Coordinator for Santa Fe Community College 's Displaced Homemakers' Program, and George Satz, husband of Altrusan Donna Pitts, both decided to take part in this year's program. At first, Satz, a self-confessed "poor writer" was uncertain of what he could possible have to share with Brian Dandridge. But the sharp nine-year old quickly proved he was more than capable of deciphering Satz' penmanship, and they went on to discuss Satz' grandchildren and Dandridge's many holiday plans.
Other exchanges were both enlightening and entertaining, reminding many Altrusans of their own childhood: Leslie Lumpkin and Altrusan Winifred "Freddie" Dobson, discussed the irony of their both having gender-neutral names. Others, including "sports-minded" student, Nathaniel Watson who was partnered with Tom Jaworski, wrote of their athletic interests. Devon Washington told his Altrusa pen pal that whenever he and his brother fight over their video games, they "cool off" by walking their recently acquired dog.
The Altrusa Club's literacy project served as both a Language Arts learning experience and an opportunity to teach friendly letter writing, as Mrs. Copeland instructed her 32 students in letter format, paragraph indention, and content. And while the Altrusans were encouraged to keep their letters to 3 to 6 short paragraphs, the student replies would periodically run 2 to 3 pages.
Each time coordinators, Nancy Kirkland, a former high school English teacher, and Mary Jean Davis would deliver the Altrusan letters to Copeland's class, they were overwhelmed by the children's enthusiasm and eagerness to share the letters first to each other, and then before the class. Often times, while Davis and Kirkland were still visiting, the students would begin writing their replies. They showed such commitment to their writing that the students were rewarded with a special luncheon to meet their pen pals and share their experiences with the Altrusa Club.
Mrs. Copeland believes the letter exchanges greatly benefited the students in preparing for their FCAT exams. Kirkland 's personal observation is that "the students sincerely looked forward to getting the Altrusans' interesting, newsy, and sometimes instructional letters". Several students have extended their experience and begun exchanging letters with relatives in other states. And even though this year's Pen Pal Project has ended, the exchange will have a long-lasting effect on the students. Just ask Benita Davis - her letter writing experience helped her pen the winning essay for the Esther Morgan Camp Crystal Scholarship, allowing Davis to enjoy a fun-filled week at camp this summer. G