There are many ways to say thank you in today’s digital age, but some South Windsor High School staff have given students and families the increasingly rare and delightful experience of receiving a handwritten note.
These postcards are small tokens of appreciation students can receive to get recognition for their work, kindness, or overall improvement. They are also a great way to express how staff members feel about students and shine a positive light on specific students who have stood out.
“I have never received one, but I think it’s a nice gesture and I’d feel really good,” junior Tiernan Cabot said.
For students like Cabot, postcards are a great way to let the students know that their hard work is not going unnoticed. This would improve both students’ overall view of teachers, and possibly their work ethic in school.
“I should be using them more, because I think it’s a good way to acknowledge the hard work students put in,” history teacher Haley Ullinger said. “It’s a (also) good way to connect with families.”
For staff members, sending these cards gives them an ability to be encouraging and creates a supportive school culture, while also helping them connect with families and students. Though they are simple, these handwritten notes show gratitude, which can have lasting effects on students.
I think it’s a good way to acknowledge the hard work students put in.
— history teacher Haley Ullinger
“I would be honored to receive a postcard like that from my teachers,” freshman Nayana Pradeep said when discussing the postcards with The Prowl.
For students like Pradeep, these would be a nice way to boost confidence and overall self-view. Teachers would be taking extra time out of their schedule to write these notes, adding to the value.
Postcards are more than just pieces of paper, they are messages filled with love and support coming from some of the most influential figures in students’ current lives. They are sure to make a difference in some if not all the lives of kids at South Windsor High School.
