- Letters from Third Graders
Yesterday an enticing packet arrived in our mail tucked amid the usual catalogs, junk mail, and bills. It contained cards from Mrs. Knutzen’s third grade students – thank yous for my ‘book talk’ to them last week at Ocean Park School. What a delight! They took me back to the 39 years I spent surrounded by primary school youngsters before I retired nearly ten years ago. In fact, some of those letters are from the children of kids I taught way back when!
The cards were individually folded pieces of paper with the ‘cover’ imaginatively illustrated with crayon or colored pencils. Inside each was a carefully written letter on hand-drawn lines, the latter no doubt suggested as a way to keep the writing neat and tidy as it marched across the paper. Each student chose one of my ABC books to write about.
Nov. 8, 2010
Dear Mrs. Stevens,
I love your books. My favorite book is C is for Cranberries. I like it because it’s an alphabet book. It teaches you facts. That’s why I like your books. You always know what to write. I say you should really be a famous author. You write really good books. Well, I don’t want to waste your time. Bye!
Sincerely,
Melissa
Nov. 8, 2010
Dear Mrs. Stevens,
Thank you for coming to our classroom. Are you going to write any more books? K is for Kidnapping is a good book. What is your favorite book?
Sincerely,
Daniel
Some students invited me to come visit again. Some asked me to write back. Some had ideas for new books – …C is for Christmas. It is about a boy who wants a dog or cat for Christmas wrote Justice.
Lilly wrote, …I’m the girl with the red hair in this class and I’m very impressed of that sixth grader… Lilly was referring to Scott Fagerland, now out of college, who illustrated P is for Papa Train back in 2000.
And Estella wrote, O is for Oysters indeed! My family is in the oyster business. I’m probably going to write a few books myself…and goes on to tell about the comics she is already writing about herself, her dog Angus, and her guinea pig, Rocky.
Every single letter is a keeper! Hooray for Mrs. Knutzen’s third graders!
It is a shame that we can only visit the world of children once we have left it behind. Mrs. Knutzen must be a good teacher as she’s educating a new crop of writers with lots of ideas for stories! I love the idea of Angus the dog and Rocky the guinea pig and anyone named Justice has marvelous possibilities ahead!
Thank you for your kind words, Sydney. I worked with you when you received a state “Teacher of the Year” award. Those teachers remaining at Ocean Park Elementary try our hardest in these uncertain times to uphold that tradition of excellence. Our school is a safe haven for many of our students coming from difficult circumstances. Establishing relationships is a key element in promoting educational and social growth. I believe that there are many examples of excellence in public education, and that the recent onslaught of negative media needs good stories such as this as a counterpoint to help people give thanks for the teachers that touched their lives. Those teachers are still out there. Perhaps we should all reach out to one teacher who touched our lives, and simply thank them!
What delightful letters! Thank you for sharing your wonderful “treat”!! And kudos to Mrs. Knutzen for keeping up the tradition of excellence at Ocean Park Elementary. Those of us who are lucky enough to be retired know what dedication and hard work it takes to be a great teacher.
I am in Mrs. Knutzen’s 3rd grade class. I wrote about the guinea pig and the dog. My little sister has a guinea pig named Moe, my big brother has a guinea pig named Sylvester, we also have two cats that are sisters. If you are reading this thank you Mrs. Stevens for writing about our cards. You should write “M is for Mrs. Stevens”. I have to go do my homework now. Bye, Estella
That’s a fun idea, Estella. If I ever wrote such a book, I would have to mention that your mom, Marilyn, was in my class when she was your age. I was your Aunt Elaine’s teacher, too. They were both great students and I’ve heard that you are, too! I hope someday that you’ll show me one of the comics you have written!