By Jill Chapman
On a particularly industrious day in late June, a package arrived on my desk very much unlike the other items that tend to come through the Lang office mail system. Instantly a smile spread across my face as I realized the contents.
A small brown envelope contained 20 neat, hand-written letters on lined notebook paper from Mrs. McTaggart’s Class at Madoc Public School, who came to take part in the Spring Education program a short time ago in mid-June.
Reading the letters, the personalities of each of the young writers came across in such an innocent way, as they shared their experiences of the Museum. Their letters were sprinkled with humour, colourful language, lovely manners, questions & smatterings of the high points of their day. Some students even included illustrations to show memories of their time at Lang. Sarah’s saddle drawing, for instance, connected her hobby as a horse enthusiast with our historic artefacts from the collection on site. I have shared snippets of some of the letters below. Enjoy!
Kudos to Mrs. McTaggart (elementary teacher at Madoc PS) for including letter writing as a post-visit activity to solidify the Village experience for your students. It is a very important lesson for folks of all ages to reflect and show gratitude. You have certainly all touched our hearts and should expect my package of personalized response letters at Madoc Public School shortly.
Keep up the beautiful writing, and enjoy your well-deserved summer vacation! You said very kind things about our staff, interpreters and the ways in which we presented living history to you to make it memorable. On behalf of our team here, thank you so very much.
Jill Chapman is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been a member of the Lang team since May of 2012. Jill is a passionate advocate for education, the arts and fitness. When not at work, Jill might be found running through the North Cavan foothills or on one of the County’s rotary trails.