The Dedham Middle School is launching a new community correspondence project - Pen Friends- for students in the 7th grade. 

Created in response to some of the social and emotional challenges our teachers have observed over the last two years, Pen Friends was designed to expand student literacy skills while also helping to foster greater connections between our DMS students and the Dedham community.  

DMS students will have guided writing time during homeroom, where they will learn more about the letter writing process and be able to work on crafting their own letters on specially designed DMS postcards.  

The goal is to create a steady stream of community correspondence throughout the spring, culminating with a community gathering of our postcard Pen Friends from the school and the community in June.

If a community group is interested in participating, here's more on how this new project will work: 

• DMS will coordinate to get your group a packet of completed student postcards to share with interested members.  Blank, pre-stamped postcards will also be provided for your return correspondence.

• Interested community members are asked to choose a postcard (or two) in which to send a return response to the student writers, care of DMS.    

• Postcards can be signed with First name, Last initial and the name of your organization, so that personal details are not shared but a back and forth correspondence can be created.

• DMS will facilitate future deliveries to your members throughout the spring.

The Pen Friends project is being generously funded by a grant from the Dedham Education Foundation, covering the cost of postcards for students and community members, as well as stamps for our return postcards. 

If  you are part of a local group that might be interested in participating, please reach out to Principal Karen Hillman to coordinate details and arrange delivery of a stack of student postcards already written and waiting for replies!