Each year on the second Sunday in September, communities across the country celebrate National Grandparents Day. The holiday provides an opportunity to honor grandparents and recognize the important role they play in the lives of children.
Across Frenship, elementary schools celebrated by welcoming grandparents and other special family members to campus for activities with their students.
At Legacy Elementary, grandparents joined their students for the annual Bingo with Grandparents event. This event gives grandparents a fun, simple way to visit campus, spend time with their grandchildren, and experience part of their school day.
“Grandparents play such an important role in our students’ lives,” said Legacy Elementary Assistant Principal Lauren Winston. “We want them to feel welcome and like they are a part of the Legacy family, too. It’s also a great way for our students to share something special with the people who mean so much to them.”
The event drew an excellent turnout, with grandparents attending from Lubbock as well as traveling from out of town to participate. For Winston, who experienced her first Legacy Grandparents Bingo this year, one of the most meaningful parts of the event was seeing the students’ reactions as their grandparents arrived.
“My favorite part was watching the moment each student spotted their grandparent walking into the cafeteria,” Winston said. “Their faces would light up instantly, and that spark of pure joy was contagious. Being able to witness that connection firsthand made this one of the most meaningful events I've experienced since joining Legacy.”
Students and grandparents spent the afternoon playing bingo, laughing, and making memories together. Winston stated that the positive response from families showed how much the opportunity meant to both students and grandparents.
“Events like this are a great way to bring our school and families together,” Winston said. “It gives families a chance to get to know each other and build relationships. Those connections help create a stronger sense of community and make our campus feel like a place where everyone belongs.”
At Crestview Elementary, first graders continued a campus tradition that has been around for more than 20 years - the annual Grandparent Tea. Students invite their grandparents, great-grandparents, or other special family members and friends to campus for an afternoon of activities and entertainment.
The celebrations varied by classroom, with students singing school-related songs, sharing poetry about grandparents, playing games such as BINGO and Draw-A-Grandma, reading books about grandparents, and enjoying treats together.
“The Grandparent Tea is always highly anticipated by children and the ‘grands,’ as well,” said Saundra Wimberley, a first-grade teacher at Crestview. “All the children and families had a GRAND time.”
For Crestview, the annual Grandparent Tea is about more than a single afternoon. The event gives grandparents an opportunity to see their grandchildren’s classrooms, meet their teachers, and experience the environment where their students learn every day.
“The grandparents always voice their memories of their own school years and how they love being in our bright, happy classrooms where their babies learn and thrive,” Wimberley said.
Through events such as Grandparents Bingo and Grandparent Tea, Frenship elementary schools continue to create opportunities for families to be involved in the school community and celebrate the special relationships that support students throughout their educational journey.