First and third grade students from Monte Vista Elementary School went trick-or-treating at a Vista memory care center Thursday morning. They hopped off the bus dressed as cheerleaders, scarecrows, Barbies and more.
"They’re just darling," Franeva Kellogg, 88, said.
Kellogg, a resident of Shadowridge Senior Living, wore monarch butterfly wings over an orange sweater and asked each student about their costume.
"Wonder Woman gets two pieces," Kellogg said, putting an extra lollipop in a first grader’s bag.
The students trick-or-treated at several stations around the putting green at Vista Gardens Memory Care. Residents of Vista Gardens and Shadowridge handed out candy at each stop.
"It's extremely valuable, I think, on both ends, not just for our seniors, but for the kids as well," said Nicole Lopez, with Bayshire Senior Communities. "Not everyone has grandparents and not all of our seniors have families locally."
Monte Vista Principal Kerry Perez said they prepared for the visit by reading "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge” by Mem Fox. The titular character lives next door to a nursing home and talks to the residents about memories.
"It was a great way to, through literature, introduce to our kids the idea of a care home, have those deep conversations about who might live in a care home, how might we empathize with people who live in a care home and how might we be supportive for those people in our community," Perez said.
Tina Gonzalez is the activities director at Vista Gardens and has a son at the school. She saw an opportunity to bring the two groups together.
"It's really important to have those intergenerational connections because, not only does it help them connect to their past memories, but I think it really helps children learn to have compassion and understanding for the changes in life that come," Gonzalez said.
The third graders ended their visit with a performance of "Monster Mash." Residents tapped their feet in time with the music as the kids sang.
Organizers said it’s the start of an ongoing connection between the school and the senior communities.
