There is nothing more rewarding than seeing students’ faces light up when they see their grandparents come to their classroom.
“One of our first Grandparents’ Days was with our granddaughter, Amanda, in 2004. We came right from O’Hare from a trip. We went straight to the classroom,” Donna Newbanks, Sun City Resident remembers.
Now, years later Newbanks still goes the extra mile to see that the smile happens even when the grandparents are not available to join the students. Newbanks recruits Sun City residents to volunteer and fill the role of grandparents to those students who do not one that can come. As seniors, they get the chance to be those wonderful grandparents to students for a few hours.
Janet and John Thunhom with student Khristos Skoufis guess how many items are in a jar at Chesak Elementary’s Grandparents’ Day. They guessed sixty-six! (Photos by Christine Such/Sun Day)
Melissa Juergensen, a first-grade teacher at Chesak Elementary stated, “In the past, we have had 4 or 5 sets of volunteer grandparents from Sun City who have come in and filled that role.”
Newbanks, who is Juergensen’s proud mother, said, “This year we only needed one set of volunteer parents.”
Janet and John Thunholm from Sun City participated again as visiting grandparents this year.
“We have been doing this for 4 years,” Janet states, clearly loving the opportunity.
“Every child we have been with is different. One child told us when showing us an iPad, ‘I’m not helping out again, and you should know better,’” John said.
In the classroom, once the grandparents are settled, Juergensen leads everyone through the itinerary.
“We have about an hour that we prepared for. The students have worked on a song, a little play, and we have a slide show of activities during the year.”
A round of grandparents enjoy the program at Grandparents Day.
She continued, “They have worked on posters about their grandparents, a gift for them, and each family unit will have their pictures taken for a frame the students have decorated.”
When asked what the students like best about their “grandparents,” the answers varied.
Grace Huynh said, “I like it when they read to me from my favorite books.”
Isabel Luzzi giggled and said, “They are so funny.”
“They let me stay up later,” said Amelia Warren.
Khristos Skoufis, who is pleased and happy to be with Janet and John Thunholm, let everyone know.
“I have a lot to tell them,” she said.
One of the activities they participate in is guessing the number of Hershey’s kisses in a mason jar.
“Sixty-six is our guess,” Koufis said, after the three carefully examined the jar. The guess was one off winning total. The winning grandmother smiled and revealed her secret for guessing the right number of Hershey kisses.
“I guessed my age,” she said.
The Thunholms take their picture with the Skoufis and enjoy this opportunity to be this little boy’s grandparents for the afternoon.
Juergensen said, “I have seen some grandparents come year after year for different siblings.”
The goal of the program is to give students a chance to bond with their grandparent or special friend at school. Children who don’t have a grandparent available are welcome to invite anyone they have a close relationship with: an aunt, uncle, godparent, family friend, or grown sibling.
Newbanks recruits Sun City residents to serve as stand-ins.
According to Sam Levenson, the simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a grandparent.
