Third Graders Meet Their Pen Pal
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JACKSON, Tenn. — For the last five months, CJ Spraggins has been pen pals with students from Ms. Margaret Lucas’ 3rd grade class. “When you read these letters, it’s just so touching,” Spraggins said “I just felt like I needed to come meet them and do some activities with them.” She had a heart transplant 2 years ago. In December, she had surgery to fix complications. Students followed her progress, learning science and English lessons along the way. “I want them to enjoy learning but I want it to be something that they see relevant to life,” Lucas said. Lucas says it all started before the surgery. She had her students write thank-you letters to Spraggins for bringing treats to their class. But when Spraggins got sick, Lucas applied her friend’s experience to help her students struggling with a lesson about plants. “It just didn’t click and I could tell they did not understand what was taking place,” Lucas said. But when she started teaching kids about the nonnative heart, they began to get the concept of nonnative plants. While Spraggins was inspiring the children, they were returning the favor throughout her recovery. “The children started writing me get well notes and they were so sweet it made my husband and I cry when we read them,” Spraggins said. She says these third graders will forever have a special place in her heart and is thankful for them.
