Elder Buddies

The grade 4 students in Dana’s room 211 (formally room 216) have been really enjoying getting to know their Elder Buddies from Amica Westboro Park Seniors Residence.

Dana shares “As one of our school tenets is community involvement and engagement, we want to develop meaningful connections within our larger community. We have so much to learn from our Elders and their experiences and we want to build a companionship with them. Many of our activities are designed to include elements of the Ontario Curriculum. For example, this week we’re going to play multiplication BINGO with our Elder Buddies.”

The students’ first visit was a meet and greet and get-to-know-you affair. Students asked over 35 questions that they had come up with and responded to those same questions so that everyone could get to know each other. On November 11th, everyone was delighted to have the Elder Buddies join Churchill’s Remembrance Day sharing. The Elders were extremely touched and moved. Afterwards, the class gave them a little tour of the classroom.

Here are some of the words from everyone involved:

“I found it interesting that one of our Elder Buddies is colour blind.” ~ Kieran

“My buddy used to be a banker.” ~Daoud

“This is such a fabulous initiative. I am so happy to see how well they are all connecting!” ~ Milly (Amica coordinator)

“Your Remembrance Day ceremony was so touching and lovely. Thank you for inviting us.” Lindy (Amica Elder)

“Thank you for giving us a tour of your class and for inviting us to your sharing.” ~Nelson (Amica Elder)

It’s heartwarming to see our students learning compassion, empathy, social skills, patience, confidence, and positive feedback; and for connecting and building these caring relationships with members of their community.

Published: November 20, 2019

Tags: caring, confidence, Family & community-centered school environment, Innovative approaches to teaching and learning, Relationships, social responsibility, Student-directed learning