Over five hundred grandparents and grand friends bundled up in thick coats, knit hats, and colorful scarves and made their way through the biting air and into the school.
They all came to celebrate Saint Andrew Catholic School's annualGrandparent’s and Grand Friends Day.
For the last 23 years at Saint Andrew, Grandparents Day has celebrated as a part of National Catholic Schools Week. This year, Grandparents Day served as the closing event of the week, which began Sunday. Other celebrations at Saint Andrew's this week included Open House, Western Wear Day, and the National Junior Honors Society Induction Ceremony.
Today students could escort their grandparents or grand friends around Saint Andrew according to a rotation schedule with activates or casually explore the school and spend time in their homerooms. Meanwhile students without visitors were also allowed to attend the activities with their classmates or stay with their teachers until dismissal at noon. Many parents and siblings also attended as guests.
“Getting to be with our granddaughters and seeing what they do here is the best part,” said Larry Eason, who has attended grandparent’s day for the last seven years.
The rotation schedule consisted of activities including a kindergarten prayer service, student square dancing performances, a book fair in the library, student musical presentations, bingo, time in homerooms, and PE games in the gym.
“It is important for the Grandparents to see the progress and changes that have been made in education,” said Andie LeChance, a second grade teacher at Saint Andrew.
Not only did the activities serve as the entertainment of the day but they also exemplified what the students have been learning said Hall. The kindergarteners shared some of the prayers they have learned during their prayer service.
The third and fourth graders square dance performances are relevant to their history lessons, and during their Veteran themed musical performance the second graders recited the preamble to the Constitution and the fifth graders recited the Gettysburg Address.
The activities allowed students to showcase their classrooms, teachers, schoolwork, artwork, and practiced performances.
“It is important for the grandparents to see the progress and changes that have been made in education,” said Andie LeChance, a second grade teacher at Saint Andrew.
“Today was all about cultivating grandparents validation of the school,” said Rose Hall, Development Director of Saint Andrew. Throughout the duration of the day no matter what activity was going on or what building you were in you could hear children laughing, see grandparents grinning, hands being held, and children being cradled.
The day concluded with a short performance for everyone in attendance by the Saint Andrew drama club, the Wildcat Players. The group performed a song, “Would you like to swing on a star,” and a poem, “I cannot go to school today,” before everyone was excused to go home.
