By Emily Youngblood

For the second year in a row, the Lower School and Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) will celebrate Grandparents Day on April 10, by inviting student’s grandparents and grandfriends to visit Oak Hall.

This now-annual event is also called “Grandfriends Day” because some children may not have grandparents, or the family member may not be able to make it. In order to ensure no child feels left out, they may invite “grandfriends” such as neighbors, aunts, uncles, etc. As Michelle Mills, Head of the Lower School, explained, “We want to make our grandparents feel more connected to the school.”

April 10 is a half-day which allows grandparents to spend quality time with their grandchildren once the school day is over.

Many grandparents/grandfriends have already RSVP’d but those who can’t make it can send a video of well-wishes to their grandchild for the holiday and the teacher will show it to the children in the classroom.

On the actual day, grandparents/grandfriends are checked-in and receive a badge for security. They are then taken to their grandchild’s classroom to meet the teacher and see what they are working on in class. The children will put on a brief performance for all of the grandparents/grandfriends. “It’s just an opportunity for grandparents who maybe don’t get to visit the school to come in and see the school and meet teachers,” Mills explained.

In the past, grandparents would walk around and see the special area classrooms as well as their grandchild’s classroom, but for some grandparents, walking around that much was difficult. Now they only need to go to their grandchild’s classroom and the multipurpose room for the performance.

There used to be a grandparent’s day celebration for the lower school a long time ago, but the tradition was revived last year. “The turnout last year was amazing…we certainly want to keep it a tradition here,” said Mills.

Grandparents have until Sunday, March 15 to RSVP attendance: www.oakhall.org/gpday