St. James Pre-Kindergarten has participated in the Madison Senior Center’s ( MSC) Intergenerational Program for the last four years, and the current Pre-Kindergarten class has been visiting the Madison Senior Center once a month since September. The children arrive at MSC to interact with an older generation by doing a project, reading a story and eating a bag lunch at the Nutritional Site. They work with the same Senior Volunteer each month.
This month the children made Valentine People using lace, ribbons, buttons, beads, glitter glue, stickers and many other materials. The room was busy and filled with animated conversations. To show the children’s appreciation, the children presented a Valentine Riddle book each had made to their Senior Volunteer as well as a personal Valentine.
The children eat their sack lunches at the Nutritional Site located at MSC before returning to school. This month the children shared songs that, are sung in the Classroom, with the adults at the Nutritional Site. (The Pre-Kindergarten children sing 3 or 4 times during the year at the Nutritional Site). The two favorite songs of the adults were: “Skidamarink”, (The "I Love You" song), and “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, which the children danced to as well. Many of the adults came to the children during lunch thanked the children and commented how they had brightened their day.
