SEF’s Pen Pal Program
Make a new friend and sharpen your writing skills! SEF is starting a Pen Pal Program for the 6th graders at Jefferson Middle School.
What is the Pen Pal Program?
COVID-19 has completely changed the meaning of “normal.” But virtual learning doesn’t mean we can’t meet new friends! In the Pen Pal Program, SEF will pair students with each other who will write emails every other week starting September 13th and the last letter received by October 30th. 
How does it work?
After pairing up participants, SEF will coordinate between pen pals. Every other week, your child will receive a prompt which they are encouraged to think about as they write to their pen pal. We’ll also send your student a fun stationery template as a Word Document. If you do not have Word, your student should write their letter as a direct reply to the emailed prompt. Please do not send links to Google Docs or any other platform.
Students will email their letter to sefpenpalprogram@gmail.com, where a SEF volunteer will screen the content to ensure it follows our Terms of Use. Once the letter has been screened, we’ll send it to its intended recipient. Parents must read and agree to our Terms of Use before their child can participate in the Pen Pal Program. Click here to read our Terms now.
Schedule
Participants will receive an email from SEF with the writing prompt and a Word stationery template every other Sunday evening. Students will then have until that following Friday to return the Word document with their completed letter. The following Sunday, we will send the letters to their recipients along with a new prompt. If your student does not have Word, please have them write their letter as a response to the emailed prompt. Please do not send links to Google Docs or any other platform.
We want this Program to be enjoyable for every student, so please send letters on time. If your child is unable to write their letter within a week, please email sefpenpalprogram@gmail.com so we can alert their pen pal. If a participant misses 2 letters in a row, they will be dropped from the Program and their pen pal will be placed in another group.
Benefits of becoming a SEF Pen Pal 
This Program was developed to help children in our community connect with one another. Since students from all 5 elementary schools can participate, your child will likely meet someone new and get to know them throughout the Fall. With SEF’s bi-weekly prompts, your child will be encouraged to think and write creatively. They’ll also learn how to express themselves and describe the world around them through writing. The Pen Pal Program is an excellent way for your student to grow their writing and communication skills while making a new friend!