High school graduation is an exciting period in a student’s life. It’s the end of a journey, the attainment of a goal and a time of transition to adulthood.
For Newsome Class of 2020 graduate Regen Adams, one of the highlights of senior year’s traditions was receiving a blue envelope stuffed full of letters from family and friends. They came from out-of-town family members and her members of her immediate family.
“I felt really loved and it really added to the graduation experience,” she said.
Adams said that even though graduation looked different than how she’d imagined it (thanks to COVID-19), the letters helped make it a special experience.
Some were simple greeting cards, others were pages-long letters containing sage advice as she began the next chapter of her journey.
“I got a lot of good advice in those letters as I was leaving home and starting college,” she said.
Adams is a freshman at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and will soon be serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The letter-writing tradition, known as blue letters because of the envelope color the letters are distributed in, began more than 10 years ago and is continuing in 2021. Family members, teachers and friends may send senior students a special note of congratulations (or sage words of wisdom) on their upcoming graduation. Cards and letters will be placed in each senior’s envelope, which will be distributed during their senior breakfast in May 2021.
Cards and letters (packages are not permitted) should be no larger than 8” x 10”. Refrain from placing cash, checks, gift cards or anything of value in the envelope. Also, keep cards and letters flat for ease of inserting into the blue envelopes by PTA volunteers.
The deadline for sending cards and letters is Friday, April 16.
Send cards and letters to: STUDENT’S FULL NAME, Newsome High School PTSA-Blue Letter Envelopes, 16550 FishHawk Blvd., Lithia, FL 33547.
For questions about Newsome Blue Letters, contact Blue Letter Chairpersons Kelli West and Laurie Bumberg at BlueLetter@NewsomeHighSchoolPTSA.org.
