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Grandparents helping their grandchildren choose books from the book fair at Turner Woods Elementary School. -
Grandparents eating breakfast with their granddaughters during Grandparent’s Day at Turner Woods Elementary School.
Turner Woods Elementary School held their traditional Grandparent’s Day Sept. 1 and 2.
After not being able to welcome visitors to the school for the past two years, students got the opportunity to eat breakfast with their grandparents.
Jeffrey Tharpe, principal at Turner Woods Elementary School, said he was excited to be hosting the event again. He said it’s something students have been looking forward to.
“Grandparent’s Day has been a tradition long before I was here at Turner Woods, so I was able to experience the event the first couple of years I was here. We haven’t had the event the past two years due to the pandemic, but this is probably my second favorite day of the year,” he said. “The kids get so excited and engaged that their grandparents are able to come to the school.”
He said Grandparent’s Day is important at Turner Woods Elementary School, because it is a way to connect with the community.
He said it’s not parents and staff, it’s everyone. He said a lot of students are being raised by grandparents, and the grandparents enjoy being able to visit their grandchildren at the school.
“I think everyone enjoyed being back these two days for the event.
Everyone was so grateful to be here and enjoyed having the school back open. Having that connection is important, because it takes a whole village to raise these kids,” Tharpe said.
Brynlee Pritchett, a fourth-grade student at Turner Woods, said she enjoyed Grandparent’s Day with her grandma, and she said it was important to spend time with her grandma. She said her favorite thing about her grandma is that she’s so nice.
“Grandparent’s Day was good, and my favorite thing was being able to go to the book fair with my grandma. I got two books and a toy. My grandma is nice, she does everything for me, and I love her,” she said.
Christy Foskey, Pritchett’s grandmother, said she was glad to be able to interact with her granddaughter at the school, and catch up with other grandparents during the breakfast.
She said it was a special moment between her and Pritchett.
“Brynlee is my youngest grandchild, and she’s sassy, but she’s sweet.
I love her a lot, and she’s always sweet to me,” Foskey said. “We love Grandparent’s Day, and we love being here at Turner Woods again.
It’s a great school.”
The principal said the students are becoming comfortable at the school now, and they enjoy being able to show others what they are doing in the classroom. He said having grandparents in the classroom helps build the confidence of his students, and he was glad to see so many grandparents at the school.
“My favorite thing about Grandparent’s Day is being able to have conversations and getting to know new people. We get another layer of support and can celebrate the students through their grandparents,” Tharpe said.” It’s been so long since they’ve been able to be here at Turner Woods, so I’m happy to see new faces with events like this.”
