Elliott Third Grade trip to Elmwood, NE to meet their pen pals!

Each year Elliott Elementary third graders write letters to pen pals from Elmwood-Murdock Elementary. The 2018-2019 school year will be the 4th year that this great opportunity has been provided to these students. Each year the students love getting to know someone that is usually very different from themselves. Our students at Elliott are a very diverse group of kids, reflecting various cultures and languages. These students experience life in the city of downtown Lincoln daily and "country" life is unfamiliar to them. As the students write to their pen pals and ask questions they learn all about life in a farming community; they ask great questions about farming, animals, small towns, and even clothing.  Elmwood-Murdock students, in turn, learn about life in downtown Lincoln, about various cultures and sometimes even a few words from another language.  This has been a great experience for students and promotes acceptance of differences. It also helps provide an incentive to write! Students work through the writing process and publish final copies to send to their pen pal. They are always proud of their letters and really excited to receive letters.  The culminating activity each year has been for the pen pals to meet. Usually Elmwood-Murdock students  visit Elliott on their way to a preplanned field trip. This coming year we would like to take Elliott students to Elmwood, NE to meet their pen pals.  This requires funds to pay for a bus for the day. We would also like to take the students to  a local attraction to provide a group experience that is one that our Elliott students might not otherwise experience. This may include a trip to the Wildlife Safari park or the Bess Streeter Aldridge House. This attraction will depend on the funds that we can raise. The bus will cost us $400 and if we estimate $3 admission fee to an attraction, that would be an additional $210 for 70 students.  Thus, the total that we are hoping to fund through Lincoln Foundation is $610.  We would truly appreciate assistance with this very worthwhile event.