Villa St. Benedict Residents and Second Graders at Spring Brook Elementary School Participate in a Year Long Pen Pal Program
Mrs. Lewis’ second grade students were on their best behavior while awaiting the arrival of 27 senior residents from Villa St. Benedict on Tuesday, May 19. The children waited anxiously to meet the pen pals they had spent the last year getting to know via “good-old-fashioned” letter writing. Lewis, reminded the children while they were waiting, “Be sure to show the hospitality we learned and always be on your best behavior with proper adult manners.”
The new and exciting partnership began at the beginning of the school year in early October 2008. Kelli Cox, Director of Resident Services at Villa St. Benedict (VSB) contacted her daughter’s second grade teacher, Mrs. Melissa Lewis with an idea to create a Pen Pal program. “I just thought it would be a wonderful intergenerational activity. It turned out to be a big hit with the residents and children alike!” The year long program allowed the students to fulfill a curriculum requirement while making new friends from an entirely different generation.
Tuesday, was the meet and greet that everyone had been looking forward to. The children had prepared two songs for their guests. They also had food and drink and the afternoon wrapped up with a tour of Mrs. Lewis’ second grade classroom. Everyone in the room had a smile on their face.
“I am so excited about this program. I did not know what to expect when Kelli contacted me but it has been the best experience I have had since I began teaching”, said second grade teacher Mrs. Melissa Lewis. “The life lessons that the students have learned while writing to the resident of VSB could not have come from a textbook. The kids have learned so much more than just letter writing, it has been a wonderful opportunity and one that I hope we can continue.”
The Pen Pal program is just one of the ways VSB is working to bridge the generation gap these. In addition to the pen pal’s Villa St. Benedict is also working with North Central College students on a Learning Legacy Program that records history from participating residents. This is an on-going program that is really getting a lot of interest. Many additional programs are offered each month that include elementary to college age children performing a multitude of talents.
In asking what is next for this program, Mrs. Cox, stated, “I would love to continue to grow the program. It would be great to have the children take a field trip to visit Villa St. Benedict they could then see where their pen pals live.”
Villa St. Benedict is an Active Retirement Community located at 1920 Maple Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532. For more information about Villa St. Benedict or the
Benedale Center for assisted living, please contact a member of our
Marketing staff, at 630-852-0345.
Mrs. Lewis’ second grade students were on their best behavior while awaiting the arrival of 27 senior residents from Villa St. Benedict on Tuesday, May 19. The children waited anxiously to meet the pen pals they had spent the last year getting to know via “good-old-fashioned” letter writing. Lewis, reminded the children while they were waiting, “Be sure to show the hospitality we learned and always be on your best behavior with proper adult manners.”
The new and exciting partnership began at the beginning of the school year in early October 2008. Kelli Cox, Director of Resident Services at Villa St. Benedict (VSB) contacted her daughter’s second grade teacher, Mrs. Melissa Lewis with an idea to create a Pen Pal program. “I just thought it would be a wonderful intergenerational activity. It turned out to be a big hit with the residents and children alike!” The year long program allowed the students to fulfill a curriculum requirement while making new friends from an entirely different generation.
Tuesday, was the meet and greet that everyone had been looking forward to. The children had prepared two songs for their guests. They also had food and drink and the afternoon wrapped up with a tour of Mrs. Lewis’ second grade classroom. Everyone in the room had a smile on their face.
“I am so excited about this program. I did not know what to expect when Kelli contacted me but it has been the best experience I have had since I began teaching”, said second grade teacher Mrs. Melissa Lewis. “The life lessons that the students have learned while writing to the resident of VSB could not have come from a textbook. The kids have learned so much more than just letter writing, it has been a wonderful opportunity and one that I hope we can continue.”
The Pen Pal program is just one of the ways VSB is working to bridge the generation gap these. In addition to the pen pal’s Villa St. Benedict is also working with North Central College students on a Learning Legacy Program that records history from participating residents. This is an on-going program that is really getting a lot of interest. Many additional programs are offered each month that include elementary to college age children performing a multitude of talents.
In asking what is next for this program, Mrs. Cox, stated, “I would love to continue to grow the program. It would be great to have the children take a field trip to visit Villa St. Benedict they could then see where their pen pals live.”
Villa St. Benedict is an Active Retirement Community located at 1920 Maple Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532. For more information about Villa St. Benedict or the
Benedale Center for assisted living, please contact a member of our
Marketing staff, at 630-852-0345.
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