Letter Writing Inspires Literacy
by Jane Clarke, Lower School Director
The Post Office system is a nucleus of the school in multiple ways. Letter writing is integral to the culture of C&C, and it is the VIIIs who bring the job to life. Their handmade mailboxes are a familiar sight on each floor of our buildings, and a visit from a postal worker is always a highlight of the day. Coming across a breathless VIII moving at lightning speed to deliver the mail is a joyful reminder that the school day has begun!
For our youngest children, sending a letter is often the first spark that inspires them to want to write. Writing a letter is powerful—it helps children express their thoughts and feelings, and ask important questions—for example, “When will you come back, Mom/Dad?” When you send a letter, you usually get a response (or a note in your lunchbox!), and that’s nothing short of thrilling. It creates a powerful incentive to become a proficient reader and writer. We see this daily in all of our Lower School classrooms, from the IIs through the VIIs. Writing (or dictating) letters that get read back aloud offers comfort and deep satisfaction—the writer’s voice is heard, translated, and passed on to the people who matter most or who deserve a heartfelt thank you.
A recent story brought this school treasure to life for me:
Mail brings us together in magical ways! Katie, the teacher who was with a group of IIs during separation and is now our Shop teacher, came to the rescue. The IIs had been writing lots of notes to their families, but they didn’t have a mailbox in their classroom. Katie solved the problem by making them a mailbox—and even a book!
I always enjoy reading the weekly letters from teachers that encapsulate something central to our work with children. With beloved IIIs teacher Megan Lau returning from medical leave this week, her replacement teacher, Allie Fitzgerald, captured something so core about our children in her final letter to families:
A note from Allie:
This past month has been endearing and heartwarming for me. I know more about the process of C&C than I did a month ago because your children are authentic people and have taught me many things. I stand in awe of how much information they hold about themselves, their classmates, their families, their school, and many aspects of creativity and justice.
Thank you very much! I’ve been invited by the IIIs to visit, and for some reason, it needs to be on a Tuesday or on the Roof, at snack or lunch. I let them all know I’ll share this with Darlitta so she can schedule me during one of those times.
I’m returning as a part-time floater and feel sure I’ll see you all in the halls!
An excerpt from a IVs teacher’s weekly note to families also resonated with me:
“The IVs and teachers wrote a letter to the science teacher, Jo, asking for help and more information. This morning, Jo joined us during our Morning Meeting to investigate with us. We took down some of the bags to show her our seeds. Jo explained that mold can grow when there’s too much water, which was a surprising and interesting fact for many IVs. What was even more interesting was that some of the moldy seeds still managed to sprout and grow roots. This led to a whole new question: Will the seeds keep growing even with mold, or will the mold eventually stop their growth? We’ve decided to leave them up and continue observing to find out.”
As I reflect on my many years at C&C—as both teacher and administrator—there are countless highlights. One of them is how we inspire children to understand that being a writer is an important job. Our program highlights this in many ways, and the school Post Office is an essential part of that process.
When I first returned to C&C, I had been working with a program called Studio in a School, which placed working visual artists in Title I public schools, Head Start, and daycare settings. Through that program, I collaborated with Susan Straub and the Read to Me Program. Susan’s incredible work inspired me to connect with children's book writers and illustrators living in NYC—and to bring that inspiration to C&C. Since then, we’ve partnered with many published writers who have collaborated with our teachers to help children understand the power of writing a good story (or poem), the reality of writing as a profession, and the value of persistence, imagination, and revision.
Over the years, Vs–VIIs teachers have partnered with writers like Douglas Florian, Maira Kalman, Elizabeth Mann, Vera Williams, Paulette Bogan, and Caron Leavis, to name a few. These collaborations have enriched our students and teachers alike. Children read books by the same author, explore characters and stories, compare themes, and ask questions. They’ve visited writers’ studios, sipped lemonade as studio guests, noticed the objects that inspire creativity, and seen the working lives of writers—creative people not unlike themselves. In turn, they’ve hosted these writers in the classroom and engaged in meaningful exchanges. One six-year-old once asked a writer, via letter: “Do you have a happy life?” What a beautiful and essential question—for any profession.
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