La Grande middle schoolers, seniors connect through pen pal letters

A year of handwritten letters brought La Grande Middle School students and local seniors together for a meet-and-greet that turned a classroom writing exercise into a real community connection.

The LMS Writing Club, started by LMS Librarian Margaret Spence, was created to bridge the gap between middle school students and senior citizens in the community. Students wrote to their pen pals about three times a month throughout the school year, giving the project a steady rhythm instead of a one-time photo moment.

That regular correspondence matters for more than sentimental reasons. For students, the letters provided repeated practice in composing thoughts, organizing ideas and writing for a real audience beyond the classroom. For seniors, the exchanges offered companionship and a reminder that younger neighbors were thinking about them. The meet-and-greet gave both groups a chance to put faces to the names they had known only on paper.

La Grande School District highlighted the program in a June 1 post, placing it in the context of a busy end-of-year stretch that also includes newsletters, events and school-community celebrations. In a district where much of the public conversation can center on schedules, staffing and budgets, the Writing Club stood out as a low-cost example of how schools can build literacy and reduce isolation at the same time.

The effort also fits into a broader pattern at La Grande Middle School. In October 2025, the school hosted its first Grandparents Lunch, an event that drew about 75 grandparents and was described by the district as a success. Together, the two programs show a middle school making deliberate room for older adults in student life, not as occasional visitors but as part of a sustained relationship.

That approach has added weight in La Grande, the largest city in Union County, with a population of about 13,300. The district says the city is also home to Eastern Oregon University, and its schools often serve as one of the main places where generations mix. Margaret Spence, who is also identified by the district as the La Grande Middle School Library Clerk and Oregon Battle of the Books coordinator, has become a visible figure in that work.

The pen pal project now offers a simple model other Union County schools and care facilities could copy: a modest commitment of time, a stack of paper and stamps, and a way for students and seniors to stay connected well beyond a single event.