Putnam: East Lansing kids write to Queen Elizabeth, and she writes back

Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - The kids in Shawn Millhouse’s first grade class at Pinecrest Elementary got a letter from Queen Elizabeth.

Pinecrest Elementary first-grader Kaidyn Jackson, 7, takes a Frisbee from volunteer Barb Soper. The Frisbees came in varied colors and the lesson was on how to receive a gift. The East Lansing first-graders were asked to be grateful for the toy, no matter the color. No one asked to exchange their color for another one, Soper noted proudly.

And Prince William and Duchess Kate sent an individual sealed letter, marked as royal mail, to each of the 21 students too. The class received photos of them and their kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

It was part of a year-long project organized by volunteer Barb Soper to let the first-graders know their voices count. Each week they studied a person and sent letters and pictures to far-flung foundations, corporations and officials — and often heard back.

There were some disappointments in those who didn’t respond, at least in time for the end of the school year. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (he’s from Battle Creek and is known as a nerd), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (our neighbor) and former President George W. Bush (he paints portraits of veterans and donates proceeds) were among those who didn't write back.

Soper, whose 7-year-old grandson, Jack Vlahos, is a member of the class, called it Wacky Wednesdays and taught about "Pioneers for Good." Students learned about good works then wrote about them and drew pictures that were mailed.

A former classroom teacher and a longtime East Lansing tutor, Soper said as a student she always disliked classwork that was just practice. She wanted the lessons to be real. So they sent letters to actual places.

“I also want the kids to know as they grow that their thoughts and voices have a place,” Soper said.

The first lesson she taught was on Helen Keller. The kids drew pictures and filled in the blanks on a sheet about what they learned. Those were mailed to the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, where Keller had been a student.

The foundation posted the assignments on its website and wrote a blog about it: “Why First-Graders Love Helen Keller.”

That got everyone hooked.

A letter to the Meijer family about the lesson on Hendrik Meijer, the Dutch immigrant who founded the successful Michigan-based grocery store, yielded a card for a free Purple Cow ice cream cone for each student.

From there they learned about Henri Nestle’s efforts to combat infant mortality with canned milk in the 19th century. That led to letters to Gov. Snyder concerning Nestle's request to draw additional ground water in Mecosta County for bottled water.

The kids mostly suggested that the governor not increase the water available to the company, Soper said. They didn’t hear back from the governor’s office.

One lesson was about baseball and how not to act. Ty Cobb, a legendary Tiger player with a reputation for being mean, was the anti-role model. The kids aptly noted that Cobb, sadly, lacked friends.

But Soper also taught them about the Ilitch family, the owner of the modern day Tigers and the Deroit Red Wings, and the family's donations in Detroit.

For that they got a nice note signed by Chris Ilitch, the son of the late Mike Ilitch, the family patriarch.

Another lesson was on the first black Major League baseball player, Jackie Robinson, who was signed by Dodger’s executive Branch Rickey. The kids each received a one-page printed history sheet from the Dodgers for that effort.

Yet another delight was from Disney. The corporation sent each child a postcard autographed by Mickey Mouse and his pals.

Each child in Shawn Millhouse's first grade class at Pinecrest Elementary in East Lansing got an autographed postcard from Disney characters.

Most recently, the class received a letter, and bookmarks for each child, from the Owosso Steam Railroading Institute. That's the home of the Pere Marquette 1225, the vintage steam engine that was once at Michigan State University and inspired Chris Van Allsburg’s beloved Christmas story, “The Polar Express.”

But the biggest thrill for Soper was hearing from the royals. One lesson was on Queen Elizabeth and how she likes horses and dogs. That made her human to the students, Soper said.

Queen Elizabeth’s Lady-in-Waiting Susan Hussey wrote a note dated March 27: “The Queen wishes me to write and thank you for your letters. Her Majesty was pleased to hear from you all and greatly appreciated the care you have each taken with your illustrations. I am to thank you, once again, for your thoughtfulness in writing as you did.”

Millhouse, the classroom teacher, said she’s been surprised by how many letters they’ve received back. She loves the lesson of making sure each child understands that their opinion counts.

“As a kid, you don’t necessarily feel like you have a voice,” she said.

Next year, if she’s asked to volunteer again, Soper said she’d like to have each student pick a town in Michigan on the map. She wants the kids to learn about the city and write to the city’s mayor.

Judy Putnam is a columnist with the Lansing State Journal. Contact her at (517) 267-1304 or at jputnam@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @JudyPutnam.