Back to Project List
		KINDERGARTEN & SENIORS PROJECT Applicant and/or teacher sponsor: Kathi Griffen Student Groups /Teachers/ Community Members/Partnerships Involved: The Woods assisted Living program, Susan Larkin Number of students affected: 15 Length of project: 1997-98 school year 1. Brief description of the project: Kindergarten students will visit with seniors at the Woods Assisted Living Center once a month. Seniors will visit students in the classroom once a month as well. During the exchanges students and seniors will play games, read, sing, eat and share art work. In preparation for the visits students will create art work, practice songs, cook or write stories, all activities which will increase their social and academic learning. 2. Connections How does the project connect with our theme of people, history, and place? How does the project interact with the community? How does the project connect with other NCRCN members/ sites? How does the project invite student planning/student choice? The connection between senior citizens and kindergarten students will provide sense of community and service for all participants. Additionally each group will have access to people in age groups with whom they don't easily come in contact. Through the interaction both groups will enlarge their spheres of relationships, providing both a sense of the past and the future. Discussions between teachers in other NCRCN sites about projects which relate to seniors will take place. Sharing of ideas and strategies for successful interaction can occur via e-mail, videoconference or in the NCRCN newsletter. 3. Student Learning How will the project improve student learning? How will you evaluate or assess what students have learned? What kind of data will you collect? Action Research question? How will you evaluate or assess the community impact? How will students share their project and learning with others at their own site, other sites or within the community? How will students be involved in the evaluation of the project? Will your project have a service learning component? If so please describe. Kindergarten students will be working on their literacy/communication skills in the context of their relationships to the seniors. They will practice speaking and listening as well as reading skills. Students will record their experiences with the seniors in "journal", dictated stories or art work. Card games will provide an opportunity to increase number facility plus the important social skills of waiting for turns, playing by rules and good sportsmanship. This project will be documented in photographs and video tape and shared with the parents and larger community through the school newspaper as well as the local papers. Seniors in the assited living facility are somewhat isolated from the activities of the community and the experience of the visits by the students and the visits they make to the classroom will provided stimulation and enrichment. 4. Support What kind of support would you like from the coordinator/TSA? What kinds of funds will you need for the project? Please supply a general budget. (Staff development, release time for planning, transportation, materials.) What other sources might provide additional funding for the project? Transportation for seniors to the Grammar School will be provided by the Woods Assisted Living program. Additional photographic supplies and materials money will come from kindergarten classroom budget Budget battery for video camera, photographs $75 transportation 8 visits 10 miles per visit @ $2.00 per mile = $160