National Grandparents’ Day, according to its website, was founded by Marian McQuade of West Virginia. She wanted to promote visits to the elderly in nursing homes and persuade grandchildren to tap into the wisdom and heritage offered by their grandparents.
President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first National Grandparents’ Day in 1978. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
This year, Grandparents’ Day was Sunday, Sept. 11.
Howard B. Thomas Grade School in Burlington celebrated Grandparents’ Day on Friday, with activities in each classroom that grandparents and grandchildren could enjoy doing together.
Principal Carrie Ahlstedt said that the school has held a Grandparents’ Day event every year for over 15 years.
“Grandparents’ Day is a great opportunity to showcase all the wonderful things that happen here every day,” Ahlstedt said.
“This is a special event that our school is lucky to hold every year,” said kindergarten teacher Katie Normoyle.
In Normoyle’s class, students drew pictures of themselves with their grandparents and included their hand prints.
In Karen Conzelman’s kindergarten class, the students played bingo, letter games and phonics games with their grandparents.
Elgin couple Craig and Betty Panepucci enjoyed spending time with their granddaughter.
“Jada was so excited about having us here with her,” said Betty.
In Cindy Monaghan’s first grade class, grandparents and grandkids did the chicken dance and listened to grandparents read stories.
The children learned that when their grandparents attended school, the classrooms did not have computers or air conditioning. Students sat in rows and either wore uniforms or followed a dress code. They also walked home for lunch.
In Denise Jenkin’s fifth grade class, the grandparents were able to sit in their grandchildren’s math stations.
“We reviewed math concepts such as fractions, place value, multiplication and word problems,” Jenkin said. “Math stations are an opportunity for students to work with each other.”
Don and Kay Herbst of Sugar Grove said that this year marks the second time they came to the school to be with their granddaughter, Emma Horvath of Burlington.
More Top Picks Espresso Machines
“It’s just wonderful that they gave us this opportunity to be with our grandchild,” Kay said.
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.