Photo by James A. McBride
These days, when even young children can nimbly text messages on their phones, and adults are continually bewildered by new forms of communication, local educators started a pen pal program.
The program, a diversity initiative sponsored by the Racial Justice Commission of the Diocese of Camden, brought together students from Sacred Heart School in Camden and St. Mary, Gloucester City.
It began after Corlis Sellers, coordinator of the Racial Justice Commission for the Diocese of Camden, spoke to students at St. Mary School for Martin Luther King Day in January. St. Mary is a school with “a few Asian and Latino students there, but no Black students,” Sellars said.
Afterward the fifth and sixth grade students wrote her old fashioned thank you notes (as opposed to emails, texts, tweets, etc.).
Sellers, principal Gail Corey, and fifth and sixth grade teachers, Mary Cain and Helen Guittar, started talking about ways to bring together students from Camden and Gloucester City. Sacred Heart principal Janet Williams and teacher Nancy Donelly were brought in, and soon the students were writing to each other.
The Camden and Gloucester City students got a chance to meet on Monday, June 13, at a picnic at Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, sponsored by the Racial Justice Commission
“It was heartwarming to see the students from St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart play together without regard to their race or color,” said Sellers. “The students and teachers of both schools made Dr. King’s dream a reality.”
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