News
Lower School Grandparents/Special Friends Day a Hit!
Posted May 14, 2012
The Lower School was abuzz with anticipation the morning of Friday, May 11 when the students' grandparents and special friends came in for a visit. More than 450 special guests arrived on campus to spend the morning listening to the Jazz Band, meeting fellow visitors, enjoying a little nosh, watching each grade's performance in the Arts Center, and most important, spending time with their grandchild(ren)/special friends.
CLICK HERE to view the photos from the event.
Assistant Head of Lower School Sherrea Chadwin 1760 presented the Lower School students at the assembly in the Arts Center. Below are a few of her words of welcome...
The children, faculty, staff, and administration of the Lower School are pleased to be spending a delightful morning of enjoyable, shared activities with you.
"A few days ago, I was in a classroom waiting to begin a quick meeting. The children were beginning to line-up to go to their next activity when Claire started hugging those near her, and with a broader than usual smile for Claire, announced that her grandparents were arriving from Arkansas and she was sooooooo excited. Later that evening, I was chatting with my children, now 32 and 28 years of age, about Claire’s enthusiasm and they began to recall their 14 grandparents’ mornings when in Lower School. My daughter chuckled, “Mom, don’t you remember how bouncy we were while waiting for Bego (my children’s nickname for my mother)?” Both fondly recalled their eagerness and the butterflies in their stomachs in anticipation of the arrival of their grandparents or, in some cases, their special friends who came when grandparents were unable to travel. My son remarked that, about the time he was in first or second grade, not only did he look forward to his own grandparents’ visit, he started looking forward to seeing the grandparents and special friends of his classmates who he had come to know from previous years. They reminisced about the funny anecdotes of the visits, and laughed about some of the skits they wrote in class to share with Bud (my children’s nickname for my dad) and Bego.
"As our conversation progressed, I marveled at the vividness of their recollections, but I was especially struck by their genuine appreciation of the time their grandparents or special friends gave to them. Of most importance to them, was the fact that their grandparents would travel from Memphis or Hilton Head or Elkins Park every year just to spend that special morning with them. They loved the countless stories of my mother’s days as a child growing up in Arkansas, the anecdotes of my life as a little girl in Mississippi and Georgia, or the stories of my husband’s family’s journey from Kiev to New York to Philadelphia.
"This morning, the Lower School children have the same eagerness, the same butterflies in their stomachs in anticipation of your visit. They have been perfecting their artwork, polishing their songs, writing stories, and practicing rhyme to impress you. They are proud of you, are eager to share you with us, and are excited to show their classrooms and their school to you. Like my children, they value the time you have taken to be here with them. They know you love them unconditionally, laugh with them unconditionally, hug them unconditionally – and they love having you here. Enjoy your time together; make new memories together; and in the words of Claire, “hug each other lots!”
