Seylar Elementary students display their letters to the elderly. (Courtesy of David Thomas)
Pennridge’s Seylar Elementary School recently transformed an afternoon into a powerful celebration of unity, service, and student leadership.
The schoolwide assembly brought together students from kindergarten through fifth grade in Seylar’s signature Thunderpacks — cross-grade groups designed to foster belonging, mentorship and collaboration. The gathering, held in the school gym, carried the energy of a pep rally while reinforcing Seylar’s core values of being PROUD, with a special emphasis on “U” for “Be United,” said a Pennridge School District press release.
“I have always believed in the magic of our school-wide Thunderpack system,” said Seylar teacher Amy Weir. “It empowers each and every student to be PROUD to be themselves, care about others, share love, be kind to others, and to ‘Create Bravely.’ It’s our norm. It’s our culture. It’s the heartbeat of our school. And it’s fun too.”
A highlight of the assembly was the presentation of a check for more than $1,000 to Pennridge Ram Packs, a local organization that supports Pennridge students and families by providing extra food and resources. The funds were raised through a student-led Candy Cane Gram Drive, organized by Seylar’s fourth and fifth grade Student Leadership group, according to a release.
Seylar Elementary students donate $1,000 to RamPacks, an local non-profit that provides weekend and holiday meals to food insecure schoolchildren. (Courtesy of David Thomas)Following the assembly, students moved into smaller Thunderpack den groups, continuing the theme of mentorship by pairing older and younger Seylar Panthers together. In these mixed-age groups, students participated in a service project in partnership with “Love For Our Elders,” a national nonprofit dedicated to combating loneliness among older adults, according to Pennridge.
“Friday afternoon focused on the unity within our Seylar community,” said Seylar teacher Tracee Meyers, who helped lead the event. “Our students gathered in their Thunderpacks — Friendship, Citizenship, Community, and Service — to celebrate our accomplishments over the past few months.”
Meyers explained that students learned about elders highlighted by the organization and read personal biographies before writing letters of encouragement and support.
The authenticity of the students’ writing left a lasting impression on staff.
A Seylar Elementary student writes a letter to an elderly community member as part of a school service project to help combat loneliness among older adults. (Courtesy of David Thomas)
During a recent school assembly, Seylar Elementary students donated $1,000 to undernourished classmates and wrote letters to the elderly. (Courtesy of David Thomas)“What stood out most to me was how genuine our students were in their notes,” Meyers shared. “They really took the time to connect by writing statements such as, ‘You may be lonely, but our entire school is here for you to make you smile,’ and ‘I love to play Uno just like you too. I always beat my mom!’ Watching students carefully choose their words showed us that empathy isn’t just something we talk about at Seylar—it’s something our students are putting into practice.”
Meyers also noted that many of the elders featured were retired teachers who expressed how much they missed receiving handwritten notes from students.
“I hope our students know that those small notes of love they give really are cherished forever,” she said.
