2011 State of the School Address
| Download | Name | Play | Size | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | September 26, 2011 - State of the School Address (Bob Collins) |
8.2 MB | 37:17 min |
Headline News
6th Grade “Bridges” Tea Receives Local News Coverage
Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) students in D'Anne Weaver's 6th Grade class once again partnered with the residents at the Gardens at Eastside to continue its successful "Bridges" Program. This is the third year for this much-loved Intergenerational Program. The students began meeting with their "elder partners" twice a month where they spent time interviewing their partner about their lives, families, careers homes, travel, spouses, experiences and more. The remainder of the visit was spent playing games, reading, and singing, completing a craft or looking at family photos.
The second phase of the program involved students writing the "family story" of their elder partners. This year, SFCS students also wrote the history of their own families for the hard-cover book entitled Bridges 2010.
Highlights of the year included the story of John Allen Thompson, Jr. a WWII veteran who trained under General George S. Patton. His memoirs include a vivid description of a 1943 battle in Italy that results in his injury. For his service, Thompson was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. Dorothy Fern Halbert was born in 1920 in Chicago, Illinois and recounted the challenges of growing up during the Depression. SFCS students soaked in her eternal optimism that has lasted through life's ups and downs.
Students recently hosted a special tea party to complete this unique project. Each elder partner was presented with a hardback copy of the published book on their lives. Greenville's Fox Carolina was on hand to cover the event for the local evening news.
Not only did this experience act as a lesson in interviewing and writing, it created a memorable bond between generations – the young and the elderly – that has also become a useful tool in the enrichment of elder partners struggling with the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.