by Ellen Modersohn
Waukon’s East Elementary School cafeteria was bursting with excitement Monday, December 12. Not only was it holiday dress-up day, with teachers and their students bundled in bright reds and greens, but 65 third graders were eagerly meeting their semester-long pen pals in person for the first time.
Over the past several years Northeast Iowa RSVP 55+ Initiative conducted a pen pals program between its volunteers and third graders at Crestwood Elementary School in Cresco. This year the program expanded to include five schools: two in Cresco, one in Decorah and at New Albin Elementary School in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District in addition to East Elementary in Waukon.
Sharilyn Decker of Waukon, a new RSVP member, recalls having a pen pal when she was a child: “Pen pals were very common growing up, and I always wrote to my friends.”