Members of the Newtown Senior Center returned to Head O' Meadow on April 26 to hear their life stories as written by second graders.

It was the second meeting for the seniors and second grade students in Sara Washicko's class. The seniors first visited the school on March 29, when the second graders interviewed them - with help from fourth graders in Abbey Clements's class. The lesson was designed for the second grade students as a writing lesson, and Head O' Meadow Principal Barbara Gasparine said the fourth grade students were there to help take notes as the second graders asked questions.

As Ms Gasparine promised at the first meeting, the second graders then used the notes to create "the story of your life" for each visiting senior.

Students asked questions like, "What is your favorite memory from your childhood?" and "Did you have a favorite teacher?"

The books were written and created ahead of the meeting on April 26. The students sat with the seniors in the school's cafetorium to read the books to them.

Senior Center Director Marilyn Place sat with both Shivansh Potnuru and Angelo DiCicco, who each wrote a book about Ms Place.

The books were also illustrated by the students, with pictures based on the stories they had heard weeks before.

Student Aarush Kumar said his favorite part of the lesson was drawing an airplane from the inside, because Rosalind Liljengren had shared stories with him about her travels.

"This picture was based on when she went to Hawaii," Aarush said.

One of his other drawings depicted a memory Ms Liljengren shared of her elementary school.

"One of my fondest memories from elementary was a slide that was right in the classroom," Ms Liljengren explained.

Students were also tasked with finding pictures to decorate the front covers of the books based on things the seniors like. Both Lucas Stanevskis and Max Malitsky chose to put pictures of construction cranes on the cover of their books about Robert Sharpe. Mr Sharpe also brought a picture of the crane he operated to show the students.

When second graders Claire Caico and Alexis Michael were asked what they learned from the experience of writing about Marilyn Radacsi, Claire said, "That she likes clowns," and Alexis said, "She likes traveling to Europe, Hawaii, Italy, and Paris."

Ms Radacsi answered too, saying, "I learned that Newtown has amazing schools and teachers." She added that the students were polite and listened. "They are wonderful kids."

After each book was read, Ms Place said the entire program was "very rewarding for those that partook." Around her the seniors and second graders ate snacks and refreshments and talked more, sharing other stories from their lives.

"This was a big job for them," said Ms Washicko as the meeting was coming to a close. All of the students, she said, worked with a template, wrote a rough draft, and checked their draft before writing the books.