What's happening: Seventh grade students at Smith Middle School turned their love of reading into action this week, penning heartfelt letters to isolated senior citizens as part of their "Stories That Inspire" book club initiative.
Inspired by the memoir "I Will Always Write Back," students partnered with Love For Our Elders, a global campaign connecting young people with seniors during the holiday season. Club members crafted personalized letters filled with colorful artwork, poetry, and word puzzles, along with messages of encouragement for the New Year.
What they’re saying: “It is so great to see first-hand how the power of a great story can inspire us as readers,” shared Kasey Kelly, director of the book club. “These students were really excited to be part of this letter-writing campaign, and to have the opportunity to brighten another person’s day. Some students even went the extra mile and wrote multiple letters so that these Senior citizens get numerous positive messages; they really took ownership of this project and what it means to add to someone's experience. I shared with the students a favorite quote of mine that resonates for this project; ‘I cannot do all the good that the world needs, but the world needs all the good that I can do.’ We have some incredibly caring & empathetic students in our book club and I couldn't be more proud.”
Why it matters: The project is part of a larger series of community service initiatives across grade levels. Both sixth and eighth grade book clubs will launch their own service projects in the coming months, each inspired by their respective reading selections.