School of St. Joachim & St. Anne

Our Grandparents Day in Schools

Programme

This can be simple or elaborate

Introduction
Grandparents are our heritage and are essential members of our families and communities.  That is why a special day, Grandparents Day in School, is set aside every year to honour them.  Here is an opportunity for you to spend some time with your grandparent, have fun, and create a project together that spotlights his or her life.

The Task
Your task is to work cooperatively with a grandparent to make a record of his/her life in any one of the following ways:

• Write an essay about your grandparent.
• Write a prayer for your grandparent(s).
• Perform a monologue about the thoughts and feelings from a moment in his/her life.
• Compose a song.
• Write about a favourite memory the two of you share.
• Formulate a story about a time in your grandparent's life.
• Create scrapbook or memory book pages.
• Create a poem.
• Construct a family tree.
• Videotape an interview.
• Write a biographical sketch.
• Grandparents favourite food
• Design web page about your grandparent.
• Invite your grandparents to school for a special Grandparents Day in Schools.  (This is the schools chosen a date for the celebration.)

 

Advice

• Pick a task you both have an interest in.
• Plan a meeting and working schedule.
• Make sure the materials you need to present your project are available and in working order.
• LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, and learn from age old wisdom.
• Have fun.
• Don't wait until the last minute to get started.

 

Goal

Invite the grandparents to school and display the various projects.
Some questions for discussion:

• What role do grandparents play in our society? Do you think grandparents' roles have changed over the years?
• What new interesting things did you learn about your grandparent?
• In your opinion, which projects from our class were the most successful, and why?
• Is it important to have special days to honor people?

 

A Note to Teachers

The purpose of Grandparents Day in Schools is to offer grandparents quality time with their grandchildren, while providing grandchildren an opportunity to share in the history of their family. Additionally, grandchildren are encouraged to gain new wisdom from--and affection for--older people.

The tasks were designed so that all students can pick something at which they can be successful using their strengths and abilities as well as their available resources. There is also enough variety in the tasks to allow enjoyable choices for students who do not live in close proximity to their own grandparent.

Grandparents Day in Schools can also be used to encourage the visitation of senior citizens in nursing homes, students can adopt a senior citizen to complete their task or pick a known senior in their community.
Some adjustments in the process may need to be made so that it is more appropriate for younger students.

Language Arts
This project lends itself to many of the Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking Language Arts requirements

Social Studies
Grandparents fit nicely into social studies units. Check to see how "family trees", "learning about our past", and "how the past applies to the future" fit into your grade level content areas.

Further information can be requested from:

Catholic Grandparents Association, Castlebar Street, Westport, Ireland, by e-mailing:  info@catholicgrandparentsassociation.org