Mrs. Elder's students at East Salisbury School have been writing to Olya during the past school year. I was delighted to learn that one of these students was attending summer school and would have an opportunity to continue her on-line friendship. Olya was happy, too! - Patti
June 25, 1996
Dear Olya,
I am in summer school. It is fun here. I hope you are having a good summer. I am having a good summer. I think summer is fun. Thank you for writing back to me. I am glad you are my friend. I hope you are having a good time. It is fun to have a friend like you. Did you have fun going to the country?
Your friend,
Kimberly
From: Gary Elder gelder@shore.intercom.net
Dear Patti,
I talked to Kimberly and she told me that she wrote to Olya. My children wrote to her at the very end of school but then we went away for a week and I didn't get the letters in. Here they are!! Would you forward them for me? Thanks lots.
Hugs,
Linda
Dear Olya,
I heard you got my Easter card. I hope you like it. How is everything going in Russia? Do you see the Russian Blue Cats? I heard they have them there. Do you like hockey or not? Bye.
Your friend,
Roger Cougle
This is my last day of school. It's a wonderful feeling. I will be in a new school next year. I think it's a good school. I hear it has a candy store and a school store. It also has two gyms. The name of my new school is Wicomico Middle School. Hope to hear from you again.
Your friend,
Amos Moore
I will miss you. I pass to the 7th grade. I was good. I wish I could try to come up there to see you.
Bye,
Joshua Fisher
How are you doing? I miss you. I'm glad we get out of school this early. Why has Mrs. Elder gotten just a little bit mean? I just can't see how you like Mrs. Elder. Sike!!!! You know I'm just playing with you. It's just a joke. We love Mrs. Elder.
Love, your friend,
Florence Johnson
I will miss you. I do not know what I am going to do for summer. It is a lot of things to do. What are you going to do for the summer, Olya? Play games, go walking or have fun with your family?
To Olya from,
Kim
I am going to Ocean City for 2 days and them I might go to Busch Gardens. I learned about Russian Spice tea. I liked the Russian tea. I like fondue. You dip it in and it's good. I like pumpernickle bread with cream cheese. I like the way you type. And I like how you talk. I will try to write you back this summer. And I am going to tell you about my mom. I am going to try my best to get my mom to write to you, too. And I will tell you about my brother. My brother passed to first grade and I'm going to pass to sixth.
Your friend,
Diontray
How are you doing? Well, this is my last year with Mrs. Elder and I am going to a new school. What grade are you going to? I will be glad to go to a new school because I don't like it when people tease me about being in Resource sometimes.
Love, your friend,
Tia Roberson
Thank you for writing us letters and maybe we'll write to you again next year.
Your friend,
Penny
I hope you have fun on your Russian vacation. We'll miss you over the summer.
Your friend,
David
I'm not going to do anything this summer except play. I like to play football. I hope you write to us next year.
Your friend,
Jonathan
My students have enjoyed writing to you this year and always looked forward to receiving your letters. Thank you for answering all of their questions. They learned quite a bit from you this year. We all enjoyed your artwork, too. Maybe we can continue to write to you again next year.
Love,
Mrs. Elder
From: Olya Malykh olya@kids.ubd.e-burg.su
Subject: For Linda Elder's class
Dear Kimberly, Roger, Amos, Joshua, Florence, Diontray, Tia, Penny, David and Jonathan,
I will miss you too. But hope we'll write letters anyway. Yes, Roger, I have received your postcard and like it very much. Thank you for such pleasant present! ;) I understood you want to know about my country (not all the Russia but the place where I often spending my summer time). Well, it's very beautiful place. Forest is near our wooden house there. A lake is about 1,5 miles from it. Also me and my friends like to go to tall swing which is 1 km from our village. We don't think that it's too much. Soon there were mushrooms and berries at the forest and we'll gather this delicious forest food. It's just a pleasure. I know a lot Russian national dishes with this products. Well, hope it's not my last letter to you. Kiss you all.
Best wishes, Olya
Dear Patti,
glad to hear from you again. I hope you don't angry with me because I spent some more time at Zarechny than wrote to you. That's just because I love my two aunts. One of them is Anna, she is 14 and another is sixteen-years-old Katherina. Me, Anya (Ann) and her friends used to go to beach every day, also we listened music, just walking and talking. We had really good time! Well, when do you have your vacations usually? And is this time different in another schools? I'll write something to Linda Elder's class with pleasure now.
Best wishes and love,
Olya
Dear Patti,
we have summer camps too. When I was smaller I spent one or two summer months in one of nearest city camp. Usually it was interesting. I went to the school, to our group's classrom where we had own beds at the morning then we ran to the stadium, and then after breakfast we went to cinema, theatre, circus, center park, beach or in another culture place. After that we had dinner and the Quite hour when we could sleep or read. Also sometimes we had special competitions like sport group games or the CMR (Competition of Merry and Resourceful). I was the Gold Fish there. I remember it with all little details because it was really funny! Oh, I forgot to say that every group must choose its name and motto. We'd like the name "Gummy Bears" (it was popular cartoon at that time) and our motto was "Gummy Bears are the best, Gummy Bears will have success!". Tell me if you want to know some details or another customs.
Best wishes and love,
Olya