Troy students learning about how mail works through letter writing

Students at Troy Hofer Elementary School are learning to correspond with their friends in the old fashioned way – by writing letters.

The school has its own unofficial in-school post office called, "Wee Deliver," which is designed by the United States Postal Service to assist with students' reading and writing abilities and to teach them how mail works.

Hofer's Postmaster is Assistant Principal Jennifer Tekiela.

The school has had the service for the past few years for its students and staff, Tekiela said, but starting last semester, it was opened to family and friends outside the building.

"The goal of this program is to inspire the reading and writing skills of our students," Tekiela said. "We're super excited to expand it outside the school this year. It's a good way for the kids to communicate with each other and to engage the community."

Also new to the program this year are classroom addresses. Hofer hallways were given street names over the summer, and each classroom has its own address.

In line with the school's Be Kind Community goals, street names include Joyful Lane, Peaceful Parkway, Confident Trail, Kindness Street, Responsible Boulevard and Determined Drive. The arts hallway is on Creative Court. Students may write letters to friends, school staff and family, put them in envelopes, stamp them with a stamp, sticker or drawing and address them. Fourth-grade mail carriers meet each day in Sarah Wells' classroom to sort and deliver the mail.

"It sounded like fun when I heard about it," Hunter Naskrent said. "I liked sending mail last year."

"I like going around the school and delivering all the mail," Nathan Rainey said.

Principal Kristin Copes said she originally got the idea for the in-school post office from Troy Cronin Elementary School Principal Jill Howard, who also has the program in her school.

Copes said the fourth graders also learn job responsibility as mail sorters and carriers. They deliver the letters to the classrooms during the recess portion of their lunch periods.