Pocono News Section

Grandparents Help Kids Honor History

Grandparents Help Kids Honor History - Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 3:48PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 @ 03:48pm EST
BARRETT TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - Students in the Poconos are celebrating the 150th Anniversary of their township this week. It's also known as the Sesquicentennial. At the Barrett Elementary Center, Grandparents helped students celebrate and honor their history.

The school's classrooms were a little louder and more crowded than usual Wednesday as Grandparents went to class to help the kids learn some history. Principal Heidi Donohue said, "The grandparents obviously teach our students our values."

Grandmother Faye Everritt said, "Oh I think it's very exciting. We love Grandparent's day!"

Faye and Ginger Battisto visited their Grandson Evan. He's in fifth grade. The ladies joined Evan's class as they made soap carvings. Meanwhile another class tried embroidery. Evan said, "It's fun. It's very good at relieving stress I think."

The embroidery and soap whittling help kids learn how people passed time before video games and computers. Battisto said, "I think it's very exciting that the children get to learn what other people did in previous generations for entertainment."

Activities and costumes helped students learn where they came from and how people lived during colonial times. Battisto said, "It's wonderful to see all these generations."

Evan's Grandmothers believe he is part of the seventh generation of the family to live in Barrett Township. They hope he passes the day's lessons on to his own children and grandchildren.

Barrett Elementary students also honored their history with a special quilt. More than 470 children helped stitch the 150th birthday quilt. Fifth graders cut the patches. Just about every student, teacher and staff member in the school helped sew them together. Every person got to make at least one stitch.

The center design is of Barrett Township's original one room school house. Designer Jacquelene Magann was very proud of the finished project. She said, "It's very special and I hope it stays here a long time."

It took about three months to finish the quilt project.