Mr. Tom Strickland and Ms. Andrea Silva are the teachers heading up this project. The classes meet with the senior citizens every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30am. What began as a lesson in conducting interviews to learn about the past and spend some friendly time has turned into an opportunity that will last a lifetime.
Dana McKee, Director of Activities at Raincross, has described this experience with the seniors as “a fantastic opportunity for both the seniors and the students as well.” The students’ initial visits were to gather insight and discover what it was like to grow up in the 1930’s and after.
But each visit has brought great joy to the residents and students. The students have brought trinkets important to them and the Raincross residents shared mementos of their own. In the Raincross residents, the students have met concert pianists, FBI agents, newspaper editors and an actress, to name a few.
Most recently Riverside City Councilman Mike Soubirous joined the students and commended them for reaching out to the elderly. On their most recent trip, the eighth graders spent time with residents in the memory care wing. This was a humbling and fantastic experience as they engaged with these seniors. Each visit involves bean bag baseball, interviews, snacks and a wonderful time for all involved. The main point of this great experience, as Mr. Strickland has said, is to “make others aware of these opportunities as well, and hopefully other schools and groups will follow our example.”