Peiffer Elementary fourth grader Nelena Hall poses with her mom, grandparents and 100-year-old great grandmother during Peiffer’s “Grandparents Day.”
Peiffer Elementary School welcomed grandparents to its 17th annual Grandparents Day – a special day for the community, staff, and especially the students. Grandparents accompanied their grandchildren to their classrooms, exchanging childhood tales and precious moments together.
“It is fantastic to see all the different generations of families that come and take time to spend with their grandchildren” said Peiffer Elementary Principal, Molly Touher. Each grandparent received a gift from the students: a poem with his or her grandchild’s handprint painted alongside it. The poem reads:
As I grow, I change a lot.
The years will fly right by.
You’ll wonder how I grow so quick;
When and where and why?
So look upon the handprint
That’s hanging on your wall,
And memories will come back of me
When I was very small.
Chelsea Jones, a fourth grade teacher at Peiffer, instructed students to interview their grandparents to find out what fourth grade was like for them.
“They were like: ‘Oh my goodness, I had no idea that my grandfather used to play the flute!’ It was really fun to have all the kids so excited to share what they’re learning and to share the space they spend a lot of time in with their grandparents,” she said.
Students learned many new things about their grandparents, as did the grandparents about their grandchildren. Some of the teachers who helped organize the event said the pride that many students had for the hobbies and accomplishments of their grandparents was heartwarming.
“It’s just very special to see my little fourth grader who is so proud that her great grandma can come and say she’s a hundred years old and that she was able to be with us today,” said Peiffer fourth grade teacher, Lisa Livesay.
That fourth grader, Nelena Hall, said it’s something she’ll always remember. “It was really fun because I got to spend way more time with her, and my grandpa and grandma too. I learned that my grandma was a physical therapist and she helped tons of people.”
Principal Touher said Grandparents Day is one of her favorite times of the year at Peiffer. “It’s a great way to celebrate the multigenerational connections that we can make and it’s just great for our kids to see that everybody cares about their education.”
Watch the JPS-TV version of this story here.