Second-graders meet senior adults

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Everyone was smiling.

Sitting around a table at the Bayview Senior Center, a group of second-graders and adults were enjoying one another’s company. They were at work, creating Thanksgiving decorations for the holiday; a colorful cornucopia made of construction paper.

It was a field trip for students from the Primary School and a welcome event for the group of seniors citizens.

Each adult was paired with one of the five second-graders. The students and adults sat side by side, some in deep conversation while they worked on their project.

The cornucopia included a list of what they were thankful for this year. The students, with some adult help, made a list of things they were thankful for: trees, rain, shoes, family, food and Fritos.

Student Liam Twomey summed up the experience for everyone.

“It’s the best field trip ever,” he said.

The students learned a lesson about giving and sharing the most important gift they had to offer — their time. They are members of teacher Marla Shelton’s Competent Kids group and the field trip was a service learning project.

Bayview senior center volunteer, Claree Vandegrift said, “It’s wonderful when students visit us.”

Shelton said the field trip was a win-win situation for everyone.

“I love giving the students a chance to relate to adults. These people are like grandparents,” she said. “It’s cross generational.”

“Both students and adults are giving of their time,” Shelton said. “The students make new friends and learn how to relate to others in real life situations.”

The students met with a group of seniors, including senior center volunteers and participants in the Adult Day Services Program, at the senior center in Bayview.

Shelton takes a group of students to the senior center several times a year. But before going to the center, she talks to the students about how to act around older adults.

“There may be some hearing loss issues, so I urge students to speak clearly,” Shelton said.

Future trips are being planned.

“We will be back with a different group of kids near Christmas and Valentine’s Day,” Shelton said.

At the end of the session, everyone enjoyed snicker-doodle cookies. Then, as students slipped into their parkas, there were hugs all around.

Gayle Saran can be reached at 221-5300 or gsaran@southwhidbeyrecord.com.