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Please Join Us...Thank You
By Elizabeth Swartz
Real-world writing doesn't get much more rewarding than the creation of invitations and thank-you notes
For Reproducible click here. 
PDF 88KB
The holidays aren't the only time of year for sending invitations and thank-you notes, but they're a great time for real-world practice in the social graces.
The pleasure of your company. I like to brainstorm with the class first. What's the purpose of our party? The theme? Who's coming? What's the best date and time? We discuss what the first impression should be when the invitation is opened. Will the design convey a formal tone? Will it suggest a holiday party? Maybe it will raise secretive smiles about a surprise party.
Once the tone is set, it's important to include all the critical information. Planning for this part will reinforce students' ability to make lists and prioritize. As a class, we list everything that needs to be included, in the order of importance. Then we plan the layout and graphics. Invitations can be completed on the computer using a pretty piece of paper, or you can use the reproducible on the next page for practice, and glue it inside a construction paper card.
Everyone's invited! My classes and I enjoy planning parties for the support workers in our building. We've invited the janitors, cafeteria workers, nurses, secretaries and administrators into our classroom for mid-morning snacks, pancake breakfasts, lunches and class plays. Sometimes we invite parents and/or other classes for a poster demonstration or poetry reading. Writing invitations always seems to mean more when students have a real reason for doing so.
Expressions of gratitude. That's also true for thank-you notes. We begin by writing notes to people in our building who take care of us. We're specific, so these people know why their work is appreciated.
Students can continue to practice the form and intent of thank-you notes beyond the classroom. Ask your students to think about important people in their lives, people who have influenced them. Specific thank-you notes can be written to these people.
Public servants are often overlooked for their everyday contributions. Wouldn't the garbage man, the postal worker or the grocery clerk be pleasantly surprised to get a thank-you note? Brainstorm a class list of workers you can surprise with a thank-you note.
Discuss what receiving a thank-you note means to you and to your students. What purpose do thank-you notes serve, besides fulfilling an expectation of etiquette? The ability to write clear invitations and specific thank-you notes are important life skills that also make people smile.
IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts #5:
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences and for different purposes.
A Note About Thank-You Notes:
You'll notice that the thank-you note template on that you can download has a great deal of space at the bottom. Instruct students that this is the space for a closing (Sincerely, Love, Best Wishes, etc.) and the child's name.
For Reproducible click here. PDF 88KB
Elizabeth Swartz is librarian at Watsontown Elementary School and Turbotville Elementary School in PA and a Teaching Editor of Teaching K-8.
November/December, 2003, Vol.34, No.3
