PencilPALS mentors meet their fifth grade correspondents at P.S. 16 in Corona, Queens
NEW YORK— On May 21st, eleven writer and actor mentors went to P.S. 16, an elementary school in Corona, Queens, as part of their ongoing participation in PencilPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools). PencilPALS is an offshoot of BookPALS, a nationwide program of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, and is part of the Writers Guild of America, East Foundation Literacy Committee.
A portion of the writers gathered in the guidance office of the school at 11 a.m., and then simultaneously went to seven different first and second grade classrooms to read picture books to students as part of the BookPALS program. After half an hour, the writers moved on to read to other classrooms. One book read was “Out of the Ballpark” by New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, and it was a clear crowd favorite.
At 2 p.m. all of the writers gathered in the classroom of their fifth grade PencilPALS counterparts. Through this program, approximately 30 fifth grade students are paired with WGAE member volunteers to correspond via the time-honored tradition of letter writing. This was the first opportunity the students had to meet some of their mentors.
After a brief welcome presentation by the class, the mentors sat down with the students, who were eager to interview them for their journalism unit. The questions ranged from thoughtful questions on the craft of writing, to tips on how to get published, to impassioned inquiry into the process of adapting the Twilight books to film.
The students whose personal PencilPALS were present spent the entire time speaking with them, while the other students rotated to different mentors. WGAE member Nancy Williams Watt adopted a seal for the classroom dubbed “Gray Beauty,” and WGAE Foundation board member Nora Ephron bought copies of her sister’s children’s books for her PencilPAL. Fifth grade teacher Janine Esposito thanked the mentors for “being so nice to [her] babies,” and the positive energy in the room was palpable.
“I would have loved to have this type of program as a fifth grader. The gathering exceeded my grandest expectations,” said Maria Cabezas, Director of NY BookPALS Programs. The PencilPALS mentors continue writing to their fifth grade counterparts, and a second event at P.S. 16 is planned for June 11th, with another batch of writers coming to the school.
The mentors who attended this event include Nora Ephron, Susanna Styron, Betsy Aidem, Gina Gionfriddo, Leslie Nipkow, Nancy Williams Watt, Barbara Garshman, Robert Schwartz, Bill Scheft, Bradford Winters, and George Malko.
