We are keeping track of the impact the “You Make a Difference” Letter is having around the world. Click on the month to see ALL the feedback. Below is a sample.
Write it Forward: Letters Go Around the World!
Letters were sent out Friday September 10th.
November
November 13th
Mr. Molloy,
I wanted to let you know I received the Write it forward letter and I am number 5. I am happy to continue this project if I could have another copy of the sheet?
I will mail you back the original sheet tomorrow.
Thanks and I really appreciated this project. It was a very pleasant surprise in my mailbox. A letter from a friend I haven’t heard from in a while. And goodness knows not via mail almost ever.
Have a good evening,
Valerie F.
Charlotte, NC
October 1st
October 1st email
Hi Mark,
I great project. Crazy that it takes a school project to make us stop our crazy lives for just a few minutes to make someone feel special. I was happy to participate.
Thanks,
Dear Mr Molloy,
I was very pleased to receive a wonderful letter from my grandson Thomas G.
Thomas is a remarkable young man who has great potential and personality!
This project was a great way to start the school year. I hope this first year of High School will be academically and socially successful for all!
Sincerely,
Maryann N.
September 12th, 2021 (Letter to Teacher)
Dear Mr. Molloy,
As a former teacher of English – Silver Lake Regional High School for 34 years – I would like to thank you for creating your ”great memories” writing project. back that I received this letter from my granddaughter, E, during grandparents weekend made it an even more special letter! she is my pride and joy. She is kind, caring, nurturing, as well as a talented (and gifted) athlete and a conscientious and hardworking student.
Her letter made me both laugh and cry. it was incredibly heartfelt and very perceptive. she knows me so well! I will always treasure it. I thank you for giving her the opportunity to be a part of this amazing assignment. I feel that we both learned a great deal from it.
Best wishes for a successful (and covid 3) school year.
September 13th Email to teacher
I just received a wonderful letter from my grandson, Matthew (D). This letter made my day! Thank you for this beautiful remembrance, Matthew! Love, Grandma
Text to Student: I got your letter today and I was touched
September 14th email to teacher
Dear Mr. Molloy,
We were so elated to receive the letter from our granddaughter. It was a nice surprise to receive a hand written letter in the mail. We have instilled in our children the importance of family traditions and we are so happy this legacy has been passed down to our grandchildren. We plan vacations with our extended family it creates memorable experiences that will last a lifetime. It is our family’s tradition to get together for all the holidays and birthdays we have a lot of laughs and fun memories. We applaud your Letters of Appreciation Project it highlights the importance of children’s role models, family values and traditions. Keep up the great work!
Best,
September 15th, 2021 Letter to teacher
I have received a wonderful letter from my ” favorite grandson” As he calls himself. he is indeed a grand young man and getting a letter from him delighted me.
My grandmother used to write letters to me and she wouldn’t clothes either a dime or stamp to encourage me to right back.
It is so important for young people to think back and appreciate relatives and mentors who made a difference in their lives – those who loved them and taught them the important basics of life in the importance of learning.
This is indeed a worthy activity having the students think back and appreciate those who helped them along their path in life. please keep your students THINKING!
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Student’s Mimi (Hingham, MA)
September 17th Email
I just wanted to thank you for The Write it Forward project your class has participated in. I am a recipient from Isabella K.. I already know how special we are to her, she always shows it, but in this crazy world we live in it is so nice for a group of young people to show gratitude. As soon as I read the cover letter it made me say to myself “why has it taken a grandchilds High School project to write a letter of appreciation.” I really hope this continues on. Thank you again for bringing positivity to Havover High!
Enjoy the weekend! Patty P.
September 19th Email
Hi,
I wanted to write to say how much I enjoyed being part of this project, both as a sender and a receiver. I am friends with Cassie L.’s grandmother. We have been friends for 32 years and her letter to me, truly touched my heart. I sent my letter to my sister. As she read the letter over the phone to me she had to get some kleenex as the tears flowed. This project gives people the opportunity to express how they feel about a person that is important to them. It also gives the recipient the joy in knowing how important they are and how they have made a difference.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful project with me!
Jeanne M.
September 22nd, Email
Great job on the ONE LETTER project. It made its way to me via Hilton Head and the letter I received will be valued forever…as I hope the one I sent will do same for my recipient.
Peace and great job,
Hi Mark, (email September 26th)
I am E’s Grandmother, thank you for doing this project with the students.
When we received E’s letter, it took a lot to read it without choking up. It was an amazing letter to read of how she feels and the memories that she holds deep inside. In today’s society, we generally just say the I love you’s and the hugs. But we don’t seem to stop and take the time to just sit and talk about the things we love about someone or just remember how special someone is to them. Or even write a letter if you can’t get together. After I lost my parents, I remember wishing I could have told them more how I felt about them, or spent more time with them. But again life gets in the way, and instead of taking that for what it is and making sure you do it to those still with us, something is always happening and you do the I love you’s and hugs again.
I am not saying at every moment you need to get into details all the time, but once in a while is nice. This project, and after E’s letter to us, it made me really think about those that mean a lot to me, and how I don’t really tell them (or than I love you) as often as I should. This letter prompted me to write a letter of my own, it felt good doing it. I was contacted by the person I wrote to, and they expressed how much that letter meant to them.
I am thrilled E sent us that letter, and truly expressed how she felt and her memories of things we have done together over the years, this is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Thank you
September 28, 2021 Email to Teacher
We are so honored and very touched to be chosen by D. as people who have made a difference in his life. Regrettably, we only see D. twice a year, Xmas and summer holidays, being so far away. It gives us so much joy to see D. and his cousins eat together at meal times with continuous nonstop conversation, build mega sand cities on the shore, haul their own wood and build huge bonfires on the beach, eat s’mores and chitchat til after midnight. At times there were some grumbles on jam making day , but I realize now these were happy memories for D. especially the unlimited quantity they ingested. The boys looked forward to dessert after every meal and before bed. Like their Grampa, food is the highlight of their day.
We think that this is a great activity to bring the private thoughts in our mind forward and appreciate them in print making them tangible for the student.
Warmest regards,
Grandma and grandpa
It was such a pleasant surprise to get the letter from A in which she recalled some of the fun and special times we all spent together. It’s nice to know she remembered those times as being special.
This program your class is taking part in is a great one in that it causes the students to pause and remember some of the important times in their lives. In turn, it motivates those receiving the letter to do the same and remember and recall someone in their lives who made a difference and a lasting impression. It is too easy in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven environment to forget those we should remember and cherish the impact they make on our lives.
Thanks for asking A to pause and recall some of the folks who have made a difference in her life.
Last, THANKS for all you do for your students!
A’s grandparents in South Carolina
Previous years
November Feedback
BOLD = class discussion points!
September 14th, 2017 (Tiverton, RI 15 minute letter): Email from a Hanover High Secretary
A woman called this afternoon. She was a Hanover resident for 35 years and had two children go through Hanover Public Schools. “The daughter was a wonderful student; the son was ok – you know boys!” (her words not mine!)
She told me that her granddaughter unfortunately passed away a long time ago. The family awards an annual scholarship through the DARE program. S.D., a freshman, received this scholarship in 2014. He wrote her an amazingly thoughtful and heartfelt letter thanking her once again for the scholarship. He wrote about how the scholarship changed his life. He could not thank her enough for everything she did for him and every other person that she helped over the years. She asked if she could read the letter to me. She did and broke down crying while reading it.
Mrs. Z. could not thank you enough for assigning this task to the students. She said the letter made her day, and made her life. She will never be the same.
I am so sorry that you were not available for this phone call this afternoon.
Please call her at your earliest convenience! She would really like to thank you personally.
How sweet!
September 14th, 2017 (Connecticut) Email: Dear Mr. Molloy,
We received a most heartwarming and endearing letter today from our grandson, S.R. My wife and I were deeply touched and remembering those wonderful times in the past was a joy. Thank you for introducing letter writing to this generation.
I have a comment and a question. As part of my retirement I teach third year medical students the value of communication. During the session I ask if any of them have ever handwritten a letter to a member of their family. Overwhelmingly the answer is NO! When I recall and still read some of the many letters I wrote as a young man to siblings and parents, I am sorrowed to think that this generation will miss all that. I hope your session may be a beginning for some to start writing. Email and text are not enough. Teacher Question: How many text / snapchats per day?
My question is that since S. sent his letter to both of us, may I copy the instructions for Write it Forward so my wife and I can respond individually. I do hope I am clear in our intent.
Best wishes,
P.K.
September 14th, 2017 (Hanover): Student was taken out to lunch @ Fridays by Grandparents. The student had a fantastic pasta meal!
September 14th, 2017 Text: Nana (Bridgewater) to Granddaughter: “Hi I just received your letter, what a beautiful letter from a beautiful granddaughter. So precious and loving! Your letter I will always treasure, but I treasure you more. You light the world with your smile. You are truly a gift, I love you so much from Nan!
September 14th, 2017 Text (Braintree 30 minutes) Nana to Granddaughter: S. I just finished crying, your letter to me and Papa was so beautiful!! Thank you so much!!! I still have A’s when she wrote to us too. We were very touched!! 
September 15th, 2017 Text (Trumbull, CT, 30 minutes) Pop-Pop to Grandson: A, I got your letter and loved it. I will be writing a letter to someone too. Love you and can’t wait to see you soon. 
September 15th: Email to Teacher: I want to commend you on the project you set out for your students. My grandson, P.M. wrote a LONG letter to me (and I know that was hard) which I now cherish and enjoy reading again and again. Keep up your good work. The students will remember your work long after they leave school, and all the recipients are grateful to get such positive boosts!
(P.M.’s grandmother)
September 16th: Email to Teacher: This letter brought happy tears to our eyes and big smiles on our faces. What a great activity and what a special grandson our A is. Thank you Mr. Molloy, we will “Write It Forward”‘ Grandparents
September 17th: Student feedback: Visit from Grammy (Osterville) who said “I loved it and am going to frame it.”
September 18th: Email to Teacher: I just received a letter from my grandson and I was so happy to get such a great letter from my favorite grandson. He loves your school and talks all the time about how much fun he and his friends have living and learning in Hanover.
Looking forward to seeing if it gets back to. you.
Thanks
A grandfather Quincy MA.
September 18th: Email to Teacher: Just a quick note to say thank you so much for your write it forward project. M is the youngest of my six grandchildren and other than thank you notes this is the first letter I have ever received! What a joy it was to receive! Please know I have forwarded a letter to someone who is very special to me and also sent a return letter to my grandson. In this age of texting and e-mailing I hope this project will generate many hand written letters. Again thank you so much for this special project and I’m very thankful that M has such an amazing teacher.
Sincerely,
DG
September 18th: Student Feedback “I loved it!” Papa Geno (Milton)
Email to Teacher: Mr. Molloy My name is B.C. and I just received the most wonderful letter from my granddaughter, D. through your project. I was surprised and pleased with the memories that she mentioned and must say it certainly brought a smile to my lips! I am pleased to send a letter on to continue this project forward. In this day and age of electronics a lot of good communication gets lost.
Sent from my iPad (Grandma’s using technology)
Plenty of Texts acknowledging letters (we did not list all)
September 22nd: Email to teacher from 2nd letter:
I received a letter from my longtime friend, Steve C. on behalf of John O. Steve is like a brother to me as we served in the Navy together. I was surprised and grateful to get this letter and have forward on. Thanks for supporting this as it is always nice to hear from friends.
Thanks,
Mick M.
Advance NC
September 22nd: Email to teacher: Good morning, this is M.’s grandmother “Beans”.. Just received a letter from him, and encouraged me to send a letter of appreciation to someone special, this letter brought tears and enjoyment, and certainly brightened up my day…
I am writing to you in answer to your Write It Forward Project. I am A’s Nene. I got a kick out of A’s letter. It is nice to see her memories. I knew she loved having been able to pet the chipmunks at my Cape home. I am giving her a picture of one of my buddies to show you. (WOW: This will be great!) He would come when I called him and jump into the cup when I told him to and turned around when I told him and let me rub his back while he ate and would go back in fourth to his whole. In all there were four chipmunks and all the kids got a kick of having them eat out of there hands. One in particular would put a little hop into his retreat and the kids would go dump tee dump. A asked me if I was going to bring my chipmunk with me when I moved off Cape and I told her I couldn’t because his family would miss him. I always had large white clam shells for them to paint with water colors.
When I retired I sold my house in Stoughton and my cottage in Dennisport and bought a home in Dennis on the North side of the Cape where most year round residents live so I had a lot of furniture to fix up the lower level of my new home for the kids. One rooms with carpet I fixed up as a den and the kids and the other one I put a bunk bed and two single beds plus a bed the former owners left for me which was a hospital bed. The kids would fight over bunk beds and the hospital bed. Another room I fixed up with a kitchen table from the cottage so the kids could pain the shells or play with play dough if it was rainy out. Another room I fixed up as a dance hall with posters of their favorite singers. They would go down there and blast the radio and dance up a storm. They never went into that room alone because there was a door at the end that went up to my garage. They would sat there were ghosts in there. I loved having the kids come down and always looked for sand dollars and big white shells to paint. Easter was fun because all four families came down for dinner and a Easter egg hunt. I would put one or two quarters in each egg and watch the kids go nuts, after dinner, to get the most eggs. We still have an Easter egg hunt at whoever hosts Easter, but now its $1, $5, $10 and one $20. My girls and I all contribute money. Please keep this program going forward, it is a treat to see there memories.
