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Monday's Internet Edition, January 05, 2009.
Generations celebrate education at Dillard Elementary
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Photo by Montana Hodges
Students of C.W. Dillard Elementary School spend lunch with their special guests at the annual Grandparents Day on Friday, Oct. 3.
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By Montana Hodges
River Valley Times Staff
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Students of C.W. Dillard Elementary School invited special guests to join them for a school lunch at the annual Grandparents Day celebration on Friday, Oct. 3.
The event is designed to allow extended members of the family to be involved in the children’s education. If a student did not have a grandparent available, he or she could bring a special person. Some opted to show off a godparent, sibling or good friend.
Students and their guests rotated between classroom time and lunching in the cafeteria. Inside the classrooms they introduced their guests and shared the guests' attributes and interests. Golfing, sewing and “talking to birds” were among the quirks students found most notable about their elders.
Inside the fourth grade classroom of teacher Alberto Gonzalez, grandparents were in for a special surprise— a pop quiz. Students proudly showed off their English language mastery by challenging their guests to the fourth grade spelling test.
Most of the visits centered around the cafeteria where children conversed with grandparents and other guests over meals. Around 500 students brought someone to the lunch; some brought up to four people, creating a lot of activity.
Lunches could be purchased, and parents donated deserts. A local branch of It’s a Grind coffeehouse donated all the beverages. Across the cafeteria, adults indulged in the warm drinks.
Adding to the ambience, sixth-grader Sarah Montgomery-Cooke played the piano in the cafeteria for the lunch crowd. Three years ago she volunteered to play just one lunch period, and her music was enjoyed so much she was asked to stay for all of the rotating lunches. Since then, she has continued to play every lunch session of Grandparent’s Day.
The decade-long tradition of inviting grandparents and special guests to school is one of the most anticipated days for students. Preparations for the big day began long in advance. This year, parent volunteer Darcie Hutcheson coordinated much of the event, enthusiastically planning it for several weeks. “This is just a good day for families and communities to get together,” Hutcheson said. “It’s great to see kids share the school experience. Grandparents come to the performances, but what about what is going on in the classroom? This is a way for them to see what is happening in school and also to relate how different things were ‘back in the day.’”
Lisa Waterman, a parent volunteer and elementary school teacher at another area school, has two children who attend Dillard Elementary. Waterman said she found Grandparent’s Day to be a unique event. “Here we have a group of like-minded people who want the best. We see these students at school, and today we see the web of family it takes to support them,” Waterman said.
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