Dr. David Hopson
I had a wonderful opportunity to speak with 100 or so of our towns’ “senior citizens” at Gateway’s annual Holiday Brunch and Concert. As always, I’m very pleased to welcome this group of people to the event and I’d say that the “senior citizen” label only applies to their ages because their grasp of what’s happening in the world, their outlook on life, and the ideas they shared would run circles around any other group. In reality, our guests seemed to have a very balanced way of looking at the world, at enjoying what each day brings, and finding pleasure in the many blessings that many take for granted. I find that this particular event is a great way to mark the beginning of the holidays and is always a very uplifting and positive experience for the guests, our staff who get to mingle with them, and our students.
As always, the reviews I heard that day were very positive and upbeat. From the brunch prepared by our own cafeteria staff, to the National Honor Society students serving drinks and the meals; from the cleanliness of the building and grounds, to the consideration of staff leaving the parking spots closest to the building open; and from the opportunity to get together to the opportunity to hear a great and varied holiday show put on by our music department. This is a wonderful showcase of our students’ talents; given their hours of practice and preparation, having more performances helps make their work even more worthwhile.
I believe this type of activity is good for everyone involved. Our “seniors” get to revisit the school and speak with our students, providing a better understanding of the quality of students that we have in the district. Our students get an opportunity to interact with a distinguished group of individuals who have achieved much in their lives and have so much to share with them. A similar experience also occurred last week in our elementary schools, at our first ever “Grandparents, Grand Friends Day”, which was also extremely successful. Through events like these, we all come to realize that there is not so great a distance between generations that can’t be overcome by the pursuit of a common agenda and understanding.
My wish from these events is that, as the schools offer activities for the community, more people will come out and be involved. From sporting events to musical performances, from open houses to community events at the school, from club activities to plays, the district’s schools always seem to be busy but attendance from community members can be very low. We often talk about the schools as being a shared resource and the focal point of the community, but outside of families involved with their school-aged children, there is limited involvement from other community members—an observation echoed across many local groups. I also urge our citizens to volunteer their services to the schools. While many do, the opportunity for more people to take part is always available and, as evidenced by the wit, humor, and knowledge displayed by our “senior citizen” guests, there is a large pool of talented people who could provide a range of services to the children of the district.
