May Day brought a wonderful opportunity for 9th grade students to reunite with the senior citizens (elders) with whom they met earlier in the year.  Back in February, the freshman class divided into three groups and traveled to three different senior residence homes in the Denver metro area.  Since that time, students have been busily writing multiple stories and poems about the people they met that day.  All of their assignments were presented to the elders today (Thursday, May 1) in a specially designed box. 

I was impressed on the day I accompanied one group of thirty freshmen to the Parkplace Retirement Community in Cherry Creek.  The students had been well prepared for their visit and came loaded with numerous questions designed to learn about the biographies of the men and women there.  They were gracious and eager, and the elders clearly enjoyed getting to know our kids.  On the return visit, once again there were many smiles and hugs and the creative output was astounding.

Kudos to English teachers Betsey Coleman and Tom Thorpe, along with their collaborator Dr. Jen Kulik, for designing this wonderful generation-crossing project, now in its second year.  I look forward to continued relations between CA and the three facilities with whom we have worked.