The Forum

Hi all! Recently we started a pen pal project between 3rd/4th graders and residents at the Riverbend Residential Care home in Chelsea, Vermont. You can find out more about it on our blog page of the website. I thought you all might like to see some examples and hear a little about how things have been going so far...and maybe be inspired to write a cheerful letter or two of your own ;) I also want to take this chance to thank elementary literacy teacher, Emma Cudney and all her 3rd and 4th graders! And thank you to Jennifer Doyle, owner of RIverbend Residential Care Home and all of the participating residents for their commitment to making this pen palling venture a success. Thank you all! Jennifer Doyle has been the owner of Riverbend for 15 years now, but has worked there for 35. She loves helping others and strives to make Riverbend feel like a family and a home for the residents there. Since COVID, volunteers in the community have painted colorful spring flowers all across the windows and beautiful bright cheerful sun paintings have been hung up on the front of the buildings. I think that this kindness from the community is so inspiring and am happy to say that many of the residents have found the pen pal project a cheerful addition and have enjoyed the opportunity to connect with children once again. Mrs. Doyle says she is "inspired by the people who work for her and their dedication to the residents." Riverbend would welcome more letters, cheerful notes, drawings, paper flowers, or other traditional mail items. Mrs. Doyle has two sons, one was a part of the pen pal project. My son has also been a part of the pen pal chain and has shown a remarkable improvement in his letter writing as a result! Just a month ago he passed me as I was writing my bio for this website and said, "Whoa! You have to write a whole paragraph, Mama?" I thought that was pretty funny. This is what he wrote just recently: Of course, I can't finish this post without talking about their teacher, Emma Cudney. Ms. Cudney has been working with children for a number of years. Before teaching, she was a nanny for two large families. This is her first time working in a classroom--and with COVID remote learning to boot. She has told me that one of the most challenging things with this shift is not being able to see her kids in class. Ms. Cudney related to me that "above all else it is important for children to feel safe, to feel like they are seen and heard and belong." She is amazed by her students' resilience and courage, especially in their ability to reach out to others during this time. For many of them, this was a first time at official, "in the mail," letter-writing. If you are interested in writing a letter, or have any ideas on starting group collectives for connecting with members of your community, please add to this forum thread. We would love to use this website as a vehicle for just that--and of course, to hear all about it. Thanks for reading! Be well, Danielle

I know I have struggled with making sense of everything since the world basically stopped. This change in my routine threw me for a bit of a loop especially since I now had to transition to an online existence to connect with anyone other than my husband like my kids, and granddaughter. I am not here though, to speak about all that is bringing stress to my life. I want to talk about the ways I brought beauty and art into the forefront of my living. I have seen many individuals turning to the arts online. I, too, was part of that movement and I am glad for the creativity that feeds my soul. I have found singing to be my greatest uplift. As well as painting, sketching, and exploring my yard. I hope you are finding something that feeds your soul and bring joy to the heart of your existence. Keep a song in your heart and a spring in your step! Summertime Karaoke