The Classroom Connection

Do you remember how you felt the first time you received a letter? Mine was from a childhood friend who’d moved to Arizona. I can still remember how excited I was to open the envelope, to unfold the lined paper, and read thoughts written especially for me. Still today, even in the age of e-mail and texting, nothing quite compares to opening and reading a letter from someone who took the time to compose one. Celebrate NJ! has created a new program that will allow students to experience sending and receiving letters in a format that will help them learn about their state and its citizens.

The Classroom Connection is a simple, yet powerful letter-writing program for students in grades 3-5, using the existing language arts letter-writing curriculum as a way for students to make important connections. Students from different socio-economic and geographic areas become pen pals, and use a structured writing exchange to get to know one another. Exposing students to the world beyond their neighborhoods, they come away with an appreciation of their current circumstances, an increased awareness of diverse cultures and lifestyles, and an ability to imagine greater possibilities for their lives.

How does the Classroom Connection work?

Classes of students are matched in a three-month writing exchange. They write on three topics: About Me (family, hobbies, pets, favorites, school, etc.); Places (where I live, where I like to go, dream vacations, other places I’ve been or lived before, what’s around me); and Dreams (what I want to be, where I want to live, how I would make the world a better place).

Teachers use a program guide and timeline to coordinate the exchange of letter packets between their partner classes. Students are matched one to one with a pen pal in the same grade. When letters arrive, each student reads their letter aloud so that everyone may “meet” the other students and learn about their lives. 

What are the goals of the program?

Classroom Connection was created with the following goals in mind:

• To get students excited about writing and to support the development of excellent communication skills.
• To create greater awareness about the diversity of people and places in New Jersey.
• To help students develop greater perspective and appreciation for their current circumstances and a greater sense of possibility for the future.

How are classrooms matched?

Teachers register their classes on The Classroom Connection website at www.theclassroomconnection.com, completing a form that provides basic demographic information. We match classes by grade and diverse demographics (geographic, cultural, and/or socio-economic).  Teachers receive their match confirmation by e-mail along with instructions and a time frame for the writing project.

While the basic program has been designed as a pencil-to-paper exchange, ensuring that no classes are excluded due to technology limitations, several teachers wanted to use technology to make the flow between classes easier and faster. This is perfectly acceptable provided both partner teachers agree.  Teachers may also want to take the project beyond letter writing to include a video meeting or an in-person meeting, that they may arrange. This is completely up to the teachers involved.

What is the time frame for the program?

Celebrate NJ! offers two sessions, each spanning approximately 120 days. The first session occurs in the fall, beginning in October and ending in January; the second runs from February to June. Teachers have a number of options for participation: they may register their classes for either session or both. They may opt to continue the first session with the same match into the second session, or opt for a new match in the second session. Registration takes place online 30 days prior to the start of each session.

Session: Spring 2011

What do teachers say about the program?

Here is what some of the teachers involved in the Classroom Connection pilot program had to say:

• “Our students, who are communicating with fourth graders in West Orange, have teleconferenced and been able to ask questions of their pen pals and virtually meet them. We are planning additional teleconferences so the students can share information about our school and our town.” Janet Ust, Sayreville Schools
• “My students were thrilled to receive and send letters to real people. We were able to have a field trip to go meet our pen pals at their schools, where students had a picnic and connected for the summer.” Phoebe Hastings, Bridgewater Schools
• “The Classroom Connection program provided me with an authentic writing experience that overlapped into other areas of the curriculum.” JoAnne Galietti, Brick Schools
• “It is often difficult to get students excited about writing, but the program made it particularly easy because it was fun and a new experience. It was also interesting to see how students who come from different parts of the state and from different cultures are all basically interested in the same things.” Stacy Novoshelski, New Milford Schools
• “The letters my students wrote (in this program) were better than many of the writing pieces they wrote for me, because they were so interested in the subject matter.” Debbie Foxworth, Middletown Schools
• “My students really enjoyed choosing their pen pals. We were able to connect two adopted children. They also had fun telling stories about themselves.” Ellen Scherr, West Long Branch Schools
• “This was a great experience for my students. They exchanged information about themselves, their dreams and hopes for the future. Many of them found that they had a lot in common with their pen pals. They drew pictures and sent photographs so they could visualize who they were communicating with. Excellent program!” Jennifer Pennisi, Bridgewater Schools

Does the Classroom Connection improve academic skills?

We surveyed teachers to evaluate how the program affected student skills in the areas of language arts and social studies. The list below indicates the percentage of teachers reporting overall student improvement in the following skill areas:

What difference can pen pals make?

Some say letter writing is a lost art, but the exchange of letters can build bridges across cultures, expand personal horizons, and bring people together in mutual understanding and purpose. Imagine living in a place filled with people who appreciate their communities, who understand and value the diversity of cultures, and who feel connected to those whose lives are different from their own. The Classroom Connection, a simple yet powerful letter exchange, can be the catalyst for lasting change. Fear dissolves. Kindness spreads. Understanding abounds. That’s what’s possible.

Karen Hatcher is the executive director of Celebrate NJ! You can reach her at 732-333-0462 or khatcher@celebratenj.org for additional information.