Below the slideshow is the article my friend and fabulous mom, Melinda Gray wrote for the local paper about our trip to El Dorado Care Center. I know my daughter Jaz is one of the lucky ones to have Lorrie Hargon for third grade. Many thanks to Mrs. Hargon for understanding that sometimes the best education happens outside of the classroom, and to fabulous moms Beth Higgins and Melissa Opsahl for their huge efforts coordinating this trip. Thanks also to those parents who came along that day and provided assistance. Special thanks to Avelina Presley who is the Activities Director at the senior home for seeing the importance in this trip both for her residents and for the children. And finally, a big cheer goes out to our 3rd and 4th graders for their compassion, love and sharing of their energy and smiles. They are “changing the world with their own two hands” (or six legs or something….) . Make sure to hit the “play arrow” on the bottom left of the image to start the slideshow!
More, More, More
by Melinda Gray, a proud mom
May 18, 2011
On a rainy May morning Mrs. Hargon’s 3rd/4th grade class, from Pinewood Elementary School in Pollock Pines, ventured down the hill to the El Dorado Care Center where they would be performing their musical, “Goin’ Buggy”. Months of practice had readied them for, what would be their first performance. The anticipation of showing off all their hard work was fun, but what the kids took away from the day was so much more.
Mrs Hargon had been preparing the kids with what to expect at the care home: that some of the residents will not talk, some would talk a lot and that some would have difficulty hearing. They were encouraged to touch the hands of the people they meet, to speak clearly and a little louder than their “inside” voice which on any regular school day, amidst the busyness of class, comes naturally to them. It was explained that these individuals once too, were children, moms and dads and/or professionals and grandparents and that the only difference between us and them was that they had aged. They were asked to engage in conversation and ask questions and most importantly to listen to them.
As the show started, wheelchairs scurried down the hall in response to the music and the sounds of children’s voices singing to come see what was going on in the recreation room. During the show, the students shined and were energized by the smiles, claps and shouts of “more, more, more” from their audience. It brought tears to this mom’s eyes to watch the kids perform and perform well.
When the show ended and the costumes were neatly put away, the students re-entered the rec room to make clay crafts and talk with a few of the residents. More proud moments were shared as the kids thoughtfully and sincerely initiated conversations. One of our students described meeting a resident (Al) who had worked as a chief engineer building airplanes in the Air force during World War I. Toothless grins were witnessed on both sides of the age spectrum that day. Later, the kids shared how happy they felt to perform for the residents and that it made them feel good when one resident declared that it “made their day”. The kids said it made them sad that some of the elderly don’t have any family members to visit them and one student, Logan Rogers-3rd grader, shared, “I’m really glad we got to come here because I don’t have very many grandparents left and this is really cool.”
Mrs. Hargon hopes that, through this experience, the kids were able to see how they could make a difference in someone else’s life, that they could gain and learn a lifetime of lessons from the people who have lived it out before them. She hopes that the residents were encouraged and the kids’ learned to be more compassionate and understanding of this frequently forgotten community. The kids got that …and so much “more, more, more”.
