Program between young students, local seniors gets strong start
By Penny Gruetzmacher
Correspondent
A new program is up and running in Walworth and offers a way for young children and local seniors to connect on a regular basis.
The Generations Program involves Cathy Boldger’s junior Kindergarten class at Walworth Grade School and residents of Golden Years. It officially began on May 31 when select residents of Golden Years visited Boldger’s classroom at the school and the goal is for it to become a long-standing program.
“I’m trying to create intergenerational relationships that can be fostered and nurtured. Our plan is for my class to go to Golden Years once a month and the folks from Golden Years to come to my classroom once a month,” Boldger said.
The twice a month get-togethers will allow the children and seniors to spend time together on a project or activity. Golden Years residents who are participating expressed an interest and some of them were teachers or were involved with children on some level earlier in their lives, she said.
The May 31 visit was a success, Boldger said.
“The children sang a song and then there was free play where there could be one-on-one time between the residents and the children,” she said.
Boldger also took handprints of the residents and put the children’s handprints on top of them, as well as printing photos of the students and residents, which she delivered to Golden Years after school. Now, the participants have handprints and photos of each other.
Residents of Golden Years taking part in the program thus far include former teachers, Ione Tindle (Walworth Grade School), Toby Spotz (Williams Bay schools), and Doris Pfenning and Donna Einum (other schools.)
Spotz, who is 88 years old, said she taught at Williams Bay for 55 years and also taught Peter Kahl, a first and second grade teacher at Walworth Grade School.
There are also grandparents and great-grandparents at Golden Years who have grandchildren or great-grandchildren in Boldger’s class as well as present or former parents of local students. Those residents include: Eleanor Mega, Mary Kirkpatrick, Marion Crispeels and Jeanette Crowley.
For the first group of Boldger’s students, this tradition will carry on through next school year. Because of looping, the students in Boldger’s junior Kindergarten class this year will be in her Kindergarten class next year.
