Since January, the students of Ms. Ripples’ journalism class has been writing to students in Ukraine. Sounds crazy, right? While there are frequent air raids, they will write to us in bomb shelters. And we will make new connections, and learn what life is like across an ocean.
“I’ve learned to have a lot of sympathy for our friends. It makes us realize how lucky we have it,” King said.
When they have shared information about the war, they talk about how it is always scary during air raids. Even one of the student’s dad is 3-D printing missiles to help with the war. They have lost a lot, and we hope to give back to them some day.
We have gotten to listen to different presentations about Ukraine, and it is very similar to Ohio. Their landscapes remind us of our Hocking Hills and trails.
My experience has been incredible. My penpal, Anastasia, is very similar to me. She loves art, plays guitar, is very good at English and is pretty much the valedictorian of her class. She has a good sense of humor and gives great compliments. She does a lot with photography and I’ve been able to see the beauty of her country. Because of her passion for art, she did a presentation of her love for the art of Ukraine. You could tell she put her heart into it, and being able to see her present was amazing.
We were able to meet a man named Brett Hill, and he was able to show us the music of Ukraine. He has been singing to raise money to help with the war, and has been to Ukraine many times. Choir Director Amedee Royer joined him, and they made beautiful music together.
Having a penpal is an experience like no other. We have been able to build friendships miles away and support them while they’re going through tough times during the war. Hopefully, the war will be able to end soon, so they can have a safer future, and we can continue talking to them. If you ever have the opportunity to be a penpal, take it, because you will not regret it.
