Date: Fri 23-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

Ashlar-Middle-Gate

Full Text:

Getting To Know You! - Third Graders And Ashlar

Residents Break The Ice (Cream)

Ashlar resident Betty Fairchild reads a friendship card made for her by Middle

Gate third grader Max Marguiles.

-Bee Photos, Evans

Socializing over ice cream: Crawford Benedict and his young Middle Gate

friends, from left, Louis Ritzinger, Michelle Greenfield and Marisa

Muraskiewicz.

Karen Schwartz remembers spending last summer at the Ashlar Summer Friends

camp.

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

The third graders at Middle Gate School and 10 residents of Ashlar of Newtown

proved last week that you're never too old (or too young) to make friends -

especially while eating ice cream.

The intergenerational program between nine-year-olds and (some) 90-year-olds

was launched Wednesday, May 14, with an Ice Cream Social held in the Middle

Gate cafeteria.

A similar get-together between the generations was held Friday at Sandy Hook

School.

Both events were considered a "kickoff" for Ashlar's continuing wellness

program, during which 156 residents of the skilled nursing facility will take

part in several outwardly-directed activities over the summer and next year.

The senior citizens and the elementary school children will be meeting each

other once a month, sharing life stories, creating history books and generally

getting to know each other - either in the schools or at the Toddy Hill Road

facility.

Next weekend, Ashlar residents will have an art show at their place.

"Maybe we can get some of the children's artwork to show," said Ashlar

Community Resources Manager Evelyn Lawrence.

"Today, we'll be meeting the students (third graders) for the first time. We

plan to continue seeing them next year as fourth graders," Mrs Lawrence said,

as she and several parent volunteers helped the Ashlar residents take their

places at the round cafeteria tables.

At first, it looked anything but social... with each senior citizen sitting

alone at any empty table and no children in sight.

Ashlar resident Betty Fairchild didn't seem to mind waiting, however, as she

remarked upon how "gracious and open" the big cafeteria room was.

Once the children entered, the empty seats at all the tables were quickly

filled and everyone began talking and exchanging information.

"Where were you born?" "Who was your favorite teacher?" "What was your

favorite subject in school?" "What was the scariest thing that ever happened

to you?"

These were some of the questions the children had come prepared to ask the

Ashlar residents, and many had brought pencils and paper to record the

answers.

They had also made greeting cards in their classrooms to give their new

friends, so it wasn't long before the shyness wore off and the room was

buzzing.

"Organized chaos," was what Mrs Lawrence said she'd expected and hoped for.

Ashlar's Therapeutic Recreation Manager, Carl Anderson, was too busy scooping

chocolate and vanilla ice cream to say much, and the parent volunteers

scurried around to deliver the toppings of choice - chocolate sauce, sprinkles

or blueberry.

Before the social hour was over, the two groups were given a hearty send off

by their respective organizational heads, Superintendent of Schools John Reed

and Ashlar president Tom Gutner.

Dr Reed said he was very happy to see the cooperative venture between Ashlar

and the Newtown children begin, partly because the fourth grade curriculum

contained an intergenerational component.

Beyond that reason, however, Dr Reed cited other advantages to the program.

"Despite the decades that separate us, whether we're bald or not, whether

we're stooped or stand straight, we're more alike than you would think," Dr

Reed said.

"For example, I can remember a lot about being in Mrs Snape's third grade

classroom in Bywater, N.J. You don't lose all the things you remember from the

past," he added.

As the head of Ashlar, Mr Gutman offered his own perspective.

"The kids have loved coming to us for summer camp. They bring so much energy

and vitality. Both the kids and the residents have built wonderful

relationships," said Mr Gutner.

The Summer Friends camp is a day camp program held at the Ashlar facility for

eight- to 12-year-olds in July and August.

"We've still got openings. It's the third year now, and the camp has been very

successful. Our camp counselors are all elementary education teachers," Mr

Gutman said.

One Middle Gate third grader, Karen Schwartz, was living proof of Mr Gutman's

statement.

As soon as Karen sat down at Ashlar resident Crawford Benedict's table, she

recognized the elderly gentleman and began talking to him in a lively fashion.

It turned out she'd gone to Summer Friends Camp last summer, and "I'm going

this year, too!" she said.

Ashlar residents who came to Middle Gate School Wednesday afternoon were Lena

Steiner, Joe Hall, Crawford Benedict, Ethel Hofstetter, Lois Mourot, Emma

Drew, Betty Fairchild, Mabel Murphy, Henriette Sills and Rita Anderson.