Program pairs up students and seniors
A new program is building relationships between students and seniors.
As part of the W.A. Consolidated School’s seniors exploratory program, grades 7 and 8 students from the school have been visiting Glen Haven Manor, a long-term care facility in New Glasgow.
Teacher Michael McPherson, who co-ordinates the visits for the students, is enthusiastic about the benefits of the Thursday afternoon get-togethers for both the students and residents. He said it’s obvious each week that the seniors are having a good time. Because of the interaction with the residents, these outings give students an opportunity to have additional positive, enriching experiences beyond the classroom, he said.
Jonathon Waller, a Grade 8 student, says he signed up for the exploratory Socializing with Seniors project because he wanted to meet a variety of elderly residents of Glen Haven Manor. Waller enjoys playing bingo with the residents the most.
Grade 7 student Sydney Battist explains that she had “a lot of fun hanging out with the seniors and helping them out with the games of bingo and crafts” that are experienced during their Thursday afternoons together through the exploratory.
Battist enjoys the games of bingo the best as well. She likes the setup time and time between games that allowed the students and residents at her table to engage in little conversations about a variety of subjects.
She describes the residents as “really nice” and says they welcome her and her classmates into their Glen Haven home, making the students feel at home and comfortable.
Interacting with the seniors reminded Battist of when she used to do different activities with her own grandparents.
“I find the students have a natural respect for elders and I see the residents enjoying the time with the children as a way to share their knowledge, reconnect with youthful memories and just enjoy being around kids,” said McPherson.
He recalls his own special memories of his grandmother teaching him how to fish and see how well the students respond to sharing their own memories and experiences with grandparents with these older residents.
“For those who have lost grandparents or who have grandparents who live outside the area, it provides the chance to get to know an older generation. And even for those students who are fortunate enough to have lots of time with grandparents, they still appreciate the chance to socialize with the residents and to get to know them and their life stories personally,” he said.
“This program gives kids opportunities that are difficult to fit into hectic family schedules after school,” McPherson adds. “We see students really blossom and shine through the exploratory visits. It opens up a new side of them.”
Glen Haven CEO Lisa M. Smith said the residents love the recreational time spent with the students from W.A. MacLeod.
“The grades 7s and 8s add vitality and interesting conversations and the exchange is a great one. Our residents give the youth quality time with an older generation that enriches their learning and growth, while connecting multi generations and building a stronger community.”