Today we got mail! Our pen-pals in Michigan sent us a gigantic thank you letter. What a treat! Thank you Beth at I didn’t have my glasses on….
Just look at all that beautiful drawing and hard work. It is stunning! That was a big project, and the children were excited.
It’s all about saying “Thank You”, which is fundamental and something young children love to do. When the words aren’t there, the pictures and drawings speak loudly. Children express themselves through drawing.
We wrote a big thank you letter to Dan the Tool Man at No Facilities Today he sent this photo:
He was thrilled! Getting a thank you letter meant a lot to Dan. Of course I showed the photo to the children. They started chanting, “Dan the Tool Man” over and over. See, a thank you letter makes a big difference.
It’s as powerful for the sender as it is for the recipient.
That’s why the Aqua Room writes thank you letters. I asked Dan the Tool Man about posting his photo on my blog post. Here’s what he said:
Your students are the real subject here. The more attention they get, the more people will understand why we have reason to be optimistic about the future.
Say ‘thank you’. Be kind. Life lessons are important and make a difference.
Jennie
A Teacher's Reflections 
How awesome!! I love this!
Thank you!
We are still replying to you! Sorry for the delay!!!!
Ritu, I wondered if our cards arrived, as mail ‘across the pond’ is tricky. Thanks for letting me know!! 💕
It’s been a bit wild, here, I apologise, but we will get a response back asap! 🥰
No apologies necessary, Ritu! You know that I know how it is!! Don’t stress.
🤗🤗
❤️
We love being your pen pals and sending things to you! Tomorrow, you’ll see your your note and picture to us, proudly displayed in our room-)
Thank you, Beth. We love being your pen pals, too. I’m excited to see our note displayed tomorrow. 😀
just was going to write you, this post will be on the weekend, as I have to figure out how to get my picture off of my seesaw page, where I sent it to parents, or just take another pic in my room.)
No worries, Beth, and I feel your ‘pain’ on figuring out how to do this. 😀
I think you, as the teacher, create the children we can be proud of. They have now learned that such a simple gesture as a thank you card can make a huge difference in other people’s lives and their own!!
That’s so nice, GP. Thank you. Yes, a simple gesture can do wonders. The little things are really the big things. I do think the children have learned that saying thank you really matters.
Oh! Jennie this is so wonderful and you and Dan have the right ideas about, learning, life lessons and the importance of saying Thank You!
You and Dan are among my top five favourite people 💜💜💜💜
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FUN YOU BRING ME💜
Thank you so much, Willow! I do believe that Dan and I have the right ideas. Connecting was the best! And, I’m so glad I bring you fun! 💕
Thank you again 💜
💕
And thank you, Jennie and the wonderful people you bring to your classroom. Your blog is an inspiration to parents and grandparents, and a joy to read.
That’s so nice, Don. Thank you for your kind words. Knowing my blog is inspiring is as good as it gets!
This is awesome!! 🥰
Thanks so much, Deborah!
You’re welcome, Jennie!
Delightful 😊
Thank you.
Welcome. Stay connected.
Wonderful stuff Jennie!
Thank you, FR!
Saying thank you is so important and is always good to learn about at a young age. These thank-you letters will always remind the children to express gratitude. Well done, once again.
Children love dictating the words for me to write and then drawing pictures like crazy.
These thank you letters really ‘stick’ with children as something important to do. Thank you, Darlene!
Hurrah for the pen pals, and for Dan’s thank you letter too. Wonderful stuff, Jennie.
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes! Thanks so much, Pete. Best to you.
What a delight. So lovely. You and your kids are so wonderful
Many thanks!
Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
Thank you, Michael!
This is so wonderful! Thanks to both sides for such a great enjoyment! Best wishes, Michael
What a day for thank you letters. They mean so much. Thanks, Michael!
I am glad that I am not the only one still sending letters by mail! Well done showing the kids the delight of real mail.
Thank you, Elizabeth. It makes a difference. Dan the Tool Man is beside himself, and posted this on his blog. He’s having it framed. Never underestimate what a thank you letter can do for another person, and for the children who write it.
Too fun.
Great lessons for the kids. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you enjoyed the letters, John. Yes, great lessons for children.
😁
Communication is the key to a bright future and your children are exemplifying that.
Yes, it is! Thank you, Pam.
I love the lessons you teach these children, Jennie. Your classroom is such a special place.
Thank you, Dan. I’m so very glad you were in my classroom. Now you know what happens. It really is a special place. The children were excited to see your photo holding their thank you letter!
Wonderful!
Thank you, Cindy!
The Mac Pack—that’s very cool. I see Beth’s handiwork all over that. Here’s to pen pals! Text messages are nice, but nothing can replace the value of a letter. Great job on Dan’s part as well for making the time to visit the Aqua Room with some hands-on learning.
The Mac Pack is really cool! A child in the class was absent the day that the big letter arrived. The next day he saw it, was in awe, and asked, “What is that?”. I got to retell the whole story for children, and they loved it! Yes, here’s to pen-pals and letters! Dan was terrific, and the children were excited to write that big thank you letter. I’m so glad it meant a lot to him. Thank you, Pete.
How cool that your class and Beth’s class have been in touch, Jennie. This can be such a wonderful community. Hugs all around.
Yes, it is really cool! This is the second year that our classes have connected as pen pals. We are truly a wonderful community, Teagan. I try to explain to people how my blogging friends are real friends, and they don’t quite understand.
This was such an uplifting post, Jennie. Thank you notes are a thing of the past. It would make me happy to see another generation learn to do that. I’m old school and keep an assortment of cards to send out with plenty of pretty stamps. Everyone is happy to get real mail.
Real mail will always be exciting and appreciated for the recipient. When the sender knows that, it’s a double- the thrill of making and sending, and the thrill of knowing it made the the recipient happy. Like you, I find this very uplifting! If teachers could spend less time on technology and more time on what really matters, they would be giving children social and emotional life skills. Really. Marlene, every bit of terrible news today in schools just makes me all the more determined to give children what matters, and those big thank you letters matter. Thanks so much!!
Gave me a warm feeling.
I’m so glad!
Pingback: long distance connection. | I didn't have my glasses on....
Thank you, Beth!
Jennie, this is simply wonderful!
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Please enjoy this post from the excellent teacher, Jennie!
Thanks so much, Charles. It is wonderful for Beth and me to have our children become pen pals. And, knowing the letters we send mean a great deal to people (like Dan) is the best!
Soo cute though
A much needed and beautiful message…
Thank you.
My pleasure!
Nice
This is very heartwarming!
I’m so glad!
What a beautiful thing to do. I love the letters and I love how you are teaching them young about gratitude. ❤
Thank you, Debby. Children rush over to the table to write and decorate these letters. They love it, and they’re learning that saying “Thank you” is important.
Of course they are. ❤
❤️
This was absolutely wonderful!!
Thank you!
I am a huge fan of thank you cards and letters. They keep positive energy flowing between human beings. Hurrah that you are introducing the idea/habit/practice of saying thank you in writing with your students!!!
I love your words, “they keep positive energy flowing between human beings.” One thing that makes a big difference is actually writing. Not texting or typing, writing. Our senses are piqued when using a pen to write in longhand. For the recipient, the eyes reading longhand brings a fireworks of emotions. It’s win-win all the way around. Thank you, Will! I love being a champion of giant thank you notes with children. The best part is that they love it!
I agree that handwriting is part of what makes a thank you card/letter special and powerful!
Yes, it is. Thank you, Will! 🙂
Hi Jennie, Two wonderful thank you letters. Both are from terrific bloggers I follow.
https://notsaneblogs.wordpress.com/2023/05/12/daily-reminder-thank-yourself-too/
What wonderful thank you letters. Those make such a difference.
WP did its becoming-usual trick of unsubscribing people. This time it was your wonderful blog. I fixed that finally, but I see I’ve missed quite a few posts. Darn!
Thanks so much, Jacqui. I have had the WP gremlins do the same to me. 😍