A retired elementary school teacher in Texas stays in touch with her former students the old-fashioned way: She writes to them.

>> Read more trending news

Sherry Hamm, who taught in the Rockwall Independent School District, sends nearly 2,000 handwritten cards annually to former pupils on their birthdays, WFAA reported.

Elaine Ricker is one of those former students. She told the television station that she still gets letters from her fourth-grade teacher every year.

"It just makes you feel special," Ricker told WFAA. "My daughter is in fourth grade now, and she just can't believe my fourth-grade teacher still sends me cards."

Hamm told the television station that she began the tradition after her first class graduated.

"I didn't want them to think I forgot about them," she said.

Hamm said she averages sending "five or six" cards per day, and while she does not know the exact number, she believes she has sent "tens of thousands" of cards, WFAA reported.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Security wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ranged from seven to 15 minutes around 3 p.m. Sunday, July 6, 2025, as travelers returned from the long Fourth of July weekend. (Gray Mollenkamp/AJC)

Credit: Gray Mollenkamp

Featured

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said joining neighboring states to form a new accreditation agency will “keep Georgia’s universities among the best in the nation." (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC