Students write letters to local seniors

WASHOUGAL — Cape Horn Skye Elementary students recently started writing letters “to help brighten the day of senior citizens who are cut off from family during the ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order,” according to a news release. “A parent with a daughter who works at Touchmark Senior Citizen retirement home in Vancouver called to say that many residents there are feeling very isolated from their families,” Penny Andrews, the school’s principal, said in the release. “She asked if we could have students write letters and share what life was like now that they were learning from home.” Andrews shared the message on Facebook, and teachers incorporated letter writing into lessons. Families are invited to drop off letters in the “senior citizen’s mailbox” at the school entry or mail them from home with the school’s return address. “This is a great example of authentic writing, or writing for a purpose, that we practice in the classroom all the time,” Andrews said. “It is also a wonderful opportunity for community service for our students. Hopefully, writing about daily life will give students a chance to reflect on the importance of family, health and friendships.”