B.E.S.T.: Bringing an Elder to School Today

For many middle schoolers in Weston, Massachusetts, a Boston-suburb, the best day of school might just be B.E.S.T. day, a unique program that promotes 'bringing an elder to school today'. That means a chance to bring a grandparent, neighbor, or family friend to school and to share classes, special programs, and lunch with the senior guest. For the faculty, community volunteers, grandparents, and local residents of retirement homes, B.E.S.T. day brought life, learning, and laughter to the multi-aged participants.

Singing Together
Greeting the visitors on B.E.S.T. day was a lobby showcase of art work representing talented senior citizens in the community. Hooked rugs, sculpture, watercolors, hand-crafted furniture, and ceramics were among the featured items. After homeroom, attendance taking, and informal chats with students and teachers, the guests and their middle school hosts moved through the morning events. One highlight was a concert of popular and classical songs, rendered by a chorus consisting of students, parents, teachers and senior citizens. The choral group, which was formed for the inter-generational program, proved so successful that it has acquired a life of its own and continues as a community activity.

When I Was Your Age...
Following a snack, served by a crew of parent volunteers, students and their guests attended a series of workshops. A session on the history of the community featured slides of young people's activities from the 1800's with commentary by a local historian. In the audience were senior citizens whose grandparents, homes were featured and who added their own recollections of being pulled to school by dog sled on wintry mornings and playing hooky in the local watering hole after their maple-sugaring chores were completed. The morning's activities ended with a presentation and demonstration by a quilt maker who explained the family origins of her work, aided by reminiscences by her 89-year old mother.

Bridge to the 2lst Century
After lunch, guests and students gathered in small groups to work on a bead construction, which, when assembled, would form a bridge to the 2lst century. As each group designed its links, they also developed answers to such questions as "what three problems would you like to see solved in the next century, what would you carry over the bridge, and how would you like this century to be remembered?" Students and their guests were avid participants in the lively discussions, which resulted in group "solutions" to be added to the bridge.

B.E.S.T. day turned out to be only the beginning of an ongoing commitment to opening the school to all members of the community. Future plans include dance groups, theatrical productions, cooking classes, retired professionals as guest teachers, stories and films to combat stereotypes around aging, production of a cookbook, genealogical exploration, and storytellers. Curriculum projects for the future include asking students to interview seniors about immigrant experiences, the suffragette movement, prohibition, the Holocaust, women in factories during World War II, and so on.

A Grandmother's Note
Opening the schools to senior citizens provides a learning environment for all involved. Students are proud to show off their classmates, teachers, and programs to their elder guests. Seniors feel a renewed connection to the schools as they are welcomed as guests as well as participants. A letter from an out-of-state grandmother, written to the principal after her experience at B.E.S.T. day, illustrates the success of this ambitious outreach.

"My generation hears only the negative side of the present educational system, leaving us with the impression that the century is heading for a major catastrophe as the children remain in ignorance. After my visit to Weston Middle School, I will assure my friends that education today has our schooldays beat a thousand ways. I found the students not only aggressively bright but friendly and outgoing. It is my hope that they know how lucky they are to have such enthusiastic teachers."