2nd Graders Wrote to Seniors All Year & When They Finally Met Their Pen Pals, It Was So Sweet
May 07, 2024

School staff, students, and seniors enjoyed a fun and spirited meeting when Virginia second graders connected with their senior pen pals after writing to them throughout the school year!
Several decades ago, finding and writing to a pen pal was a regular thing. Magazines helped teens locate pen pals in other states, and it was an exciting way to make friends in different parts of the country. Over time, our world became “smaller,” and the practice became unnecessary and uncool. It’s so easy to communicate with people across the globe through the internet and social media platforms.
RELATED: High Schoolers Find a Simple Way to Bond with Seniors – They Play Board Games
A New Spin On Pen Pals
However, as Peter Allen’s 1974 song reminds us, “Everything Old is New Again.”
Teachers at Pearson’s Corner Elementary School (PCES) in Mechanicsville, Virginia, introduced their students to the old tradition and added a fabulous new spin on it in the process. PCES staff paired students with residents at Hermitage Richmond Senior Living, and the students and their senior buddies have exchanged letters since September.
Hermitage resident Daylon McCarty and eight-year-old Yosha Sreeraj met for the first time during the school’s unique field trip. Daylon, who is seven decades older than her pen pal, is a former kindergarten teacher. She expressed her excitement for the project, saying, “I used to teach kindergarten. So I love to see them writing. It just helps them build their writing skills. And they asked me questions, and I asked them what they've been doing.”
RELATED: Retirement Community Treats Residents To Prom For Seniors And The Joy Is Contagious
When they met face-to-face, Yosha—clearly an energetic and curious little lady—learned, among other fun facts, that Daylon once lived on the beach. There is so much that the young and old can teach one another!
Meeting With Their Senior Pen Pals
Teacher Dana Randolph is thrilled with the intergenerational connections her students have formed through this senior pen pal program. She shared, “It gives them a reason to write. A different reason to write. And something that's not just school-related. They're able to make connections with somebody and realize that they can make connections with somebody not their age.”
Wearing their PCES Panther t-shirts, students sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” before reading to the seniors, playing games, and visiting. This was the second year the school’s second graders forged friendships with Hermitage residents. And it’s been great for both young and old. Jennifer Norton, Hermitage’s Director of Lifestyles and Wellness, said, “They have been writing each other back and forth since September. And so now they get to meet each other in person. And it's just, it's a special experience.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Matthew McConaughey, Wife, And Kids Delight Seniors With Unexpected Virtual Game Of Bingo
A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE! Last week we spotlighted how students in Dana Randolph's second grade class at Pearson's Corner Elementary School were pen pals this year with residents at the Hermitage Richmond Assisted Senior Living Community, and how the two groups got to meet in person. pic.twitter.com/f2W7GxVOBb
— Hanover County Public Schools (@HanoverSchools) April 22, 2024
“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” Proverbs 17:6
WATCH: Chris Tomlin - Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)
Chris Tomlin - Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies) from chris-tomlin on GodTube.
LISTEN: Jeff Bridges and Wife Still Going Strong After 40 Years | Groom Surprises Everyone, Recites Vows for Stepson
h/t: CBS 6 News Richmond
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/ Hanover County Public Schools
Hally is a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate. A former school counselor, Hally works for a nonprofit that distributes tax dollars to mental health and prevention education providers that serve her county's kids and families. She's a contributor to a devotional and two essay collectives, and she shares resources and wisdom regarding parenting teens, mental health, faith, adoption, and more at http://www.hallyjwells.com where she strives to "Dig Deep and Reach High." She and her husband have three adult children and one rascally beagle pup. Hally loves travel, her book club sisters, personality tests, and a great glass of iced tea.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Help Us Love One Another - Your Daily Prayer - April 27
As followers of Jesus Christ, our most important relationships begin with love, beginning with our salvation, where God loved us first and reached out to us with His love.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Help Us Love One Another - Your Daily Prayer - April 27
As followers of Jesus Christ, our most important relationships begin with love, beginning with our salvation, where God loved us first and reached out to us with His love.
Past Stories
- WWII Veteran Celebrates His 101st Birthday and 75 Years of Marriage to His Loving Wife
- 88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College
- One Year After Losing Boys in a Fire, Parents Find Light in the Form of a Beautiful Blessing
- They Dress Up As Disney Princesses to Bring Joy and Hope to Sick Children, and it's Amazing
- This Couple Parents Triplets and Foster Sons from Wheelchairs, and It’ll Leave You Inspired
- Two-Year-Old is Found By Rancher's Dog After Walking 7 Miles From Home
- Couple Reunites 15-Year-Old Blind Dog With Owners After Finding Her in the Wilderness
- He Saved Her Life in a Pool Accident Five Years Ago, Now They Are Engaged
- Actress Chrissy Metz Left Hollywood For Nashville and She Couldn't Be Happier
- Stranger Helps 81-Year-Old Waitress Who Couldn't Afford to Retire, Now Her Prayers Have Been Answered
- 49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
- 9-Year-Old Boy Remembered By Teacher and Community After Being Swept Away By Flood Waters
- 16-Year-Old Heard a Family's Cries and Saved Them From a House Fire
- Family Grows From 4 to 8 Overnight After Welcoming Identical Quadruplet Daughters
- Little Girl With Autism Reminds Others of Snow White and Her Connection to Animals
- Candace Cameron Bure Shares Fantastic News That Former Co-star, Dave Coulier, is Cancer-Free
- Soldier is Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed
- Her Grandfather Kept a Log of Every Memory He Had With Her Grandmother, and It's Precious
- This 30-Year-Old Feline Might Just Be the World's Oldest Cat
- Special Messages About Love From Kindergarten Class Displayed at Teacher's Wedding
- A Sneaky Brown Tree Snake Slithers Into An Oven in Australia, and Luckily Doesn't Get Cooked
- Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years
- Four-Year-Old Sends Out a Message in a Bottle, Receives Reply Less Than Two Weeks Later
- Delivery Driver Saves Woman's Life After Double Checking When Something Didn't Seem Right
- Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Her Impressive Martial Arts Skills
- Man That Survived More Than 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother Every Single Day
- Quick Thinking 9-Year-Old Saves Choking Friend During Snack Time Emergency
- Video Store Owner Creates 'Christina's Corner' For a Long-Time Customer
- Texas Man Gets Married in the Hospital After Kidney Transplant
- A Bride to Be and Her Best Friend Have Plane to Themselves and Enjoy Every Minute of it
- Dogs Come to School to Help Comfort Young Students Affected by the Eaton Fire
- Toddler Braves the Dark to Save His Great-Grandma
- All Four of These Best Friends Now Live On the Same Street and It's Amazing
- Woman Finds the Most Precious Message Inside Her Thrift Store Purchase
- Mom is Hit By a Piece of Power Tool On Her Way to Walt Disney World
- Veteran Who Loved Burger King Honored With His Own Chair
- Toddler Using Old Phone Calls 911 For Donuts and Gets a Sweet Surprise
- Hospital Hosts Special Father-Daughter Dance for Young Girl Who Missed the One at Her School
- Carl Thomas Dean, Dolly Parton's Husband of Almost 60 Years, Passes Away at 82
- Woman Donates Her Kidney to Help Save Prom Date From 35 Years Ago
- Couple Thank and Befriend Man Who Saved Their House From a Wildfire
- After 84 Years of Marriage, This Couple Just Broke a Record, and Share Some Great Advice
- Woman Gives Birth On Plane With the Help of a Flight Attendant
- Married For 68 Years, This Husband Does This Simple Sweet Thing For His Wife Every Night
- A Couple in Their 90s Spent 73 Years Apart, Now They Are Engaged
- Woman Reunites With Toddler She Saved From Drowning Back in 1961
- Three Superhero Teens Saved Man on Railroad Tracks After Spotting Him From Their Classroom
- Father and Son Are Able to Survive Night in the Utah Wilderness After Finding a Backpack
- Top Resurrection Sunday Songs You Must Listen To This Year
- Grumpy Grey Seal Takes Over Hotel Room in the Netherlands, To Take a Nap
Top Music Videos

Danny Gokey Official Music Video For Uplifting ‘I Got You’ Danny Gokey

Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp Lyric Video for Powerful ‘Again’

Brooke Ligertwood Brooke Ligertwood Moving 'Calvary's Enough' Live Performance

Crowder Crowder's Powerful 'Somebody Prayed' Lyric Video

GodTube Music Billie Jo Jones | 'How Great Thou Art' (acoustic)
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.