Grandparent’s Day takes new shape at Fairview/Jewell

Posted Date: 09/14/2023

Grandparent’s Day is a staple around school cafeterias in mid-September, the first holiday celebrated in the typical school calendar.

But, at Fairview/Jewell Elementary School, the lunch has changed from its decades-long past around the cafeteria table.

This month marked the first “Lunch with a Loved One,” a picnic-style way to honor Grandparent’s Day, where students and their families would eat in a picnic-style set up, either on a blanket or in a lawn chair, and break bread while reading.

“I loved it,” Angela Scott said. “We were able to read some of our grandkid’s favorite books. It felt very intimate and personal to be able to sit down and engage with them.”

This new way of doing a longtime school event helped include another generation in each student’s school journey.

Families were asked to bring a book from home they could read with their student.

“It’s great being able to be back with the kids and be involved as a grandparent,” Courtney Dobbs said.

Some students even got to share the unique experience with their great-grandparents.

It’s safe to say that, with more than 240 people attending, the event was a success and is likely going to stay in the Fairview/Jewell community.