MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Tuscan Elementary School teacher Claire Sinclair recently took her class on a field trip to Winchester Gardens in Maplewood to connect with the seniors there.
“This school year, I wrote and received a grant to ‘Bridge Generations,’” Sinclair said. “The idea was to bring my kindergarten class to a nearby senior citizen center a few times during the school year to ‘bridge the generational gap.’ I have often read about the benefits of mingling the young and old and decided to see for myself.
“In December, we went with our music teacher and sang with them and shared a snack. Today, our art teacher joined us and we created mini-masterpieces with them,” she continued, speaking about the March 29 visit. “Most of my students have been looking forward to this for weeks. We counted down the days until today arrived! A few of the kids were nervous but their fears were diminished as soon as we got there and they saw that the seniors were just as excited to see us as we were to see them!
“My favorite part about the experience was listening to them chat with one another as they colored and shared snickerdoodles. The innocence of these children as they conversed with these wise souls brought out such sweet conversation. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the kids help the seniors open their Capri Sun juice pouches. Some of them had never seen one before! We will try to visit one more time before the end of the school year, but if we can keep this program going, I hope to make it something we can do every year,” she concluded.
Photos Courtesy of Claire Sinclair
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