Story by School News Network–How does a teacher create opportunities for her new class of third-grade distance learners to get to know one another? If you’re Knapp Forest Elementary teacher Sarah Bruha, you start a pen pal exchange. Bruha’s class of 37 (yes, thirty-seven!) third-graders — whose usual schools are Knapp Forest and Orchard View — are getting practice writing names, spelling, punctuation, and grammar while they learn about peers they may have only met on-screen.

“I’m excited to get it in the mail, and to read it and to write back,” said Sri Aluri, who drew a picture on her first letter to classmate Ximena Martinez of the two girls holding hands. Easha Venkatesh agreed about the letter-writing. “I actually never did that, except to Santa,” she confided. Scott Cahill read his first letter aloud: “Dear Miles, I’ve been waiting a long time for this. … My favorite classes are gym and math. What are your favorite classes?”

To read the complete School News Network story online with photos of students and their virtual pen pals, click here.