Making connections in the community

The IGLD (Intermediate General Learning Disability) class and a Grade 7 class at Calderstone community want to have a series of service projects at a retirement home in our community. Our first project has two parts. First, the students will bake and decorate Christmas cookies for the seniors. This hands-on activity helps to increase the IGLD students cooking skills and gives them the opportunity to develop co-operative and collaborative relationships with the Grade 7 class. Second, the students will visit the retirement home, share the cookies they made and sing Christmas songs with the residents. Third, when the students return to school, we will debrief their experience through journal writing and connecting their conversations with the character education qualities already studied in class (respect, caring, respectful and inclusive). We would like to return to the retirement home in the new year and continue to develop meaningful relationships with the residents through student initiated projects.

Update (May 2, 2011)

We have had two visits to the Retirement Home so far this year. The first visit was very rewarding for the students because they had the opportunity to interact with residents as they sang and handed out cookies. Our second visit was a games day and it went well. The students' feedback sheets showed that they are making connections between the character education attributes and their time with the residents. Some comments included:
- "they are much older than us but they can still be fun"
- "I was excited and nervous before we went . . .I talked to some seniors who were kind and funny"

Update (June 23, 2011)

Our final visits to the retirement home involved planting plants at the home as well as giving residents individual potted plants prepared by the students. The students were making connections with residents they had already met before and some of the residents recognized the students as well. While the students were initially shy in presenting their potted plants to residents, they become more confident in approaching residents and engaging them in conversation.

This service project awakened the students to becoming more involved in their community as well as learning skills of working with each other and respecting and caring for others.