As part of our English work this term, pupils in Mrs. Horgan’s 4th and 5th Class have been developing their letter-writing skills through a class project entitled “Letters to People We Admire.”
The children explored the structure and features of formal and informal letters and were then given the opportunity to write for a real audience. Each pupil chose a person they admire and wrote a thoughtful, personal letter explaining who inspires them and why.
The pupils put great care into their writing through planning, drafting, editing and presenting their letters. We were absolutely delighted to receive many wonderful personal written responses from a wide range of well-known people, including former President Michael D. Higgins, Limerick hurler Aaron Gillane, former Cork footballer Juliet Murphy, former jockey Rachael Blackmore, The 2 Johnnies, author J.K. Rowling, Olympic swimmer Daniel Wiffen, mountain biker Ronan Dunne, darts player Luke Littler, singer Billie Eilish, Formula 1 driver Lando Norris, soccer player Caoimhín Kelleher, hurling manager Jamie Wall and Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley.
There was great excitement in the classroom as replies began to arrive, with our very first response coming just two days after the letters were sent! While we understand that it is not always possible for everyone to reply, the children were thrilled and very grateful to receive so many kind and encouraging responses.
This project has been a wonderful way to build confidence, improve writing skills and show pupils that their words truly matter. It has also helped them to see the value of thoughtful communication and the excitement that can come from writing for a real audience.
