Intergenerational pen pals come together at Walsh Intermediate School

On June 6, a group of 17 seniors who had corresponded with 17 eighth-graders at Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) since September gathered for an in-person end-of-year session and discussion about their shared year of correspondence . See more photos next. Pam Johnson/The Sound

Agency on Aging program organizers from the AmeriCorps Senior Volunteer Program of South Central Connecticut, Canoe Brook Center in Branford, and peer leaders from Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) gathered with correspondents eighth grade and above for an end-of-year celebration June 6 at WIS. Pam Johnson/The Sound

Correspondents Evan Cabello (left) and Peter Graves began corresponding based on a connection over a love of fishing. On June 6, Graves brought dozens of flies as a gift, which he tied to Cabello. Pam Johnson/The Sound

Hosted by Cherie Strucaly, Director of the Agency on Aging of the AmeriCorps Senior Volunteer Program of South Central Connecticut. Part of the AmeriCorps grant focuses on the use of cursive writing, a lost art for many young students, in the letter-writing curriculum.

Strucaly said the program is in its ninth year at WIS. Strucaly is collaborating with Nancy Cohen, deputy director of the Canoe Brook Center, and Heather Grattan and Megan Basti, WIS peer advisor leaders, to bring the program to Branford.

“The program directors have done a wonderful job. I love seeing the seniors with the eighth graders. They learn from each other, share experiences and bring the community together,” said WIS Director Raeanne Reynolds.

Over several months of correspondence, friendships developed based on common interests that were encountered between pen pals at the beginning of the program.

Peter Graves and Evan Cabello started with a connection over a love of fishing. On June 6, Graves brought a gift of dozens of flies that he tied for Cabello, along with a few more questions for his young friend.

“Evan has so many interests,” Graves said. “I have to ask him about metalworking, about his playing in the band, his sports. His interests continued to grow! I couldn’t believe it.

Cabello said he enjoyed corresponding with Graves.

“He would ask me questions and I could ask him questions and we could talk about a lot of different topics. He was telling me about the fishing he does and his job and where he went to college, and it’s all very interesting,” Cabello said.

Graves’ career in biology and chemistry also created another connection between the two, as Cabello’s father is a biochemistry engineer.

“It wasn’t just fishing that came up, but also an interest in medicine,” Graves said, turning to Cabello.

Writing was a new experience for Cabello.

“I never learned it,” Cabello said. “At school, I only had one teacher who actually made us learn cursive writing, and that was in third grade, but we never even finished that subject because he wasn’t supposed to be on the program. So I feel like I haven’t had a chance to learn it until now. I usually always type, so this has helped me a lot with my writing because I’ve practiced it more.

Graves said that when he was in fifth grade, a special teacher came into the classroom once a week to teach the class cursive writing.

“I really enjoyed it,” Graves said, adding that he could see his friend’s improvement with each letter.

“It’s getting better and better. The last letter was all in cursive,” Graves said.

Another new experience for Cabello was the longer wait time between conversations.

“In the communication to which I am accustomed, it is at most a day later that they respond. But it could take a month, a week or maybe longer,” Cabello said,

However, the wait was still worth it, he said.

“In this type of conversation, you put more information, so it’s a longer discussion between us,” Cabello said.

Grattan and Basti said students are always excited on the days their pen pals’ letters arrive.

“They were so excited to receive their letters and read them. They read their letters over lunch with their friends because the connection they make is missing in today’s society. So it’s great to bring that back and give them the opportunity to have a different connection that’s not through technology,” Basti said.

Grattan said many students also learn about the different types of experiences their pen pals had when they were their age.

“A lot of our students are athletes, and through their pen pals they find out that a lot of women didn’t have the chance to play sports when they were in school, or maybe they were the first to be able to play a sport at their school,” Grattan said, adding that common interests help build a bridge between the two correspondents.

“We have a student who is a drummer and who is paired with a gentleman who is also a drummer; we have people who share an interest in theater and people who love reading,” Grattan said. “It’s important to both of them. I think sometimes we forget that our young people also have these positive attributes. They want to get involved and do good things. So it’s good to have this program where they can.

Matches between students and seniors’ interests are made at the beginning of the year by Strucaly, who starts the program with a survey researching hobbies, favorite school subjects and current interests.

“I have a new senior pen pal this year and she asked me, ‘How did you find me in eighth grade?’ That girl is me! We’re like two peas in a pod,” Strucaly said. “So beyond the educational aspect, we just love the impact it has on our seniors.” They can’t wait to receive these letters from their children.

The program includes many seniors from the Branford area as well as others from the Coastal area who have heard about the program and asked for the chance to participate.

Cohen said Branford seniors who participate through Canoe Brook receive many benefits from this program.

“A lot of older people have grandkids who live far away, so it’s a connection to a younger person, and Sheri does a great job of bridging interests, so we have people like Peter who likes editing to the fly, someone who loves fishing, and we have another senior who is interested in art, just like his pen pal,” Cohen said. “I think it’s just cool that we have a way. for them to come together and communicate It’s interesting to see how much they’ve grown together as writing buddies They get to know each other and the students can see that the seniors are dynamic: they’re not. simply sitting in a rocking chair.