Applause rained down on Krey Elementary School first-graders from Mrs. Michel and Mrs. Sanabria’s class as they entered the Eskaton Lodge during a recent visit to the assisted-living facility. The students recited poetry and presented Eskaton residents with art they had created to thank the senior citizens for the oral history they had provided.

The visit was part of a social studies unit in which students learn about the differences between life as contemporary first-grader and the life seniors lived as first-graders.

It was the students’ second visit to Eskaton in a two-month span. During the first vist, students paired up with seniors and conducted interviews. They learned what life was like for a youngster 70, 80 and even 90 years ago, and used the information for numerous class activities covering multiple curriculum areas.

The meetings between the seniors and the students provided history lessons that the average textbook couldn’t provide. The students gained more than knowledge; they got applause, smiles and hugs – testimony to the magnitude of the bond that had been established.

– Contributed by Tamara Michel