Grade 4: Spanish-Speaking Friends Share Letters
After months of waiting, fourth graders in Senora Viseur’s Spanish club finally had reason to celebrate last Friday when a package arrived for them from Costa Rica.* Back in October, they sent letters to peers in the Central American country hoping to strike up a pen pal relationship with these Spanish-speaking students. A quick poll of the class, before the envelope was opened, showed that 93 percent of Graland students thought the letters would be in English. They were wrong.
After months of waiting, fourth graders in Senora Viseur’s Spanish club finally had reason to celebrate last Friday when a package arrived for them from Costa Rica.* Back in October, they sent letters to peers in the Central American country hoping to strike up a pen pal relationship with these Spanish-speaking students. A quick poll of the class, before the envelope was opened, showed that 93 percent of Graland students thought the letters would be in English. They were wrong.
In Spanish, Maclaren Gulick’s pal Deilyn told her that she likes to draw and play soccer. She also likes cats. George Brown found out his friend Brayan likes the same food (lasagna) and the same dessert (mint chocolate chip ice cream). He’s eager to write back and ask Brayan about his favorite sport, soccer, and how the food tastes at his school.
One thing that surprised our fourth graders was learning that these children, ages 9-10, have many of the same likes, hobbies and interests that they do. While some were sent a full page of information, others shared only a paragraph but all began a global friendship that will strengthen language skills and build connections in faraway places. GO write!
*Special thanks to fourth grade teacher Nikki Spiers, who visited the school on her trip to Costa Rica last summer.
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Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
