Grandparents of students at Zeb Vance Elementary School were invited to join their grandchildren for lunch in honor of National Grandparents Day. Although the official day is to be observed on the first Sunday after Labor Day, Zeb Vance hosted its festivities on the following Monday.

“The smiles on the students’ faces when they saw their grandparents come out to have lunch with them was priceless. I was floored by the number of grandparents we had visiting,” said Kristian Herring, Principal of Zeb Vance Elementary School. “101 grandparents had lunch with their grandchildren. This shows just how important our grandparents are to our students and how important our students are to our grandparents.”

Guidance Counselor Valerie Hairston was also ecstatic at how Grandparents Day connected generations. “Grandparents left with joy in their hearts and a token of appreciation in their hands,” she stated. “This was a great way to honor grandparents.”

This initiative was started at Zeb Vance as a way to have grandparents visit the school and enjoy the company of their grandchildren over a nutritional meal. Zeb Vance also uses this as a venue to recruit volunteers for the school.

“It is wonderful to see our students’ faces light up when they see their grandparents in the cafeteria to join them for lunch,” shared Marian Faulkner, a third grade teacher at Zeb Vance. “Some students invited their classmates (who didn’t have a family member there) to join them and their family for lunch. Anytime we can merge our Zeb Vance family with our students’ families is a positive experience.”

Mike Patel, grandfather of a Zeb Vance Kindergarten student, shared his satisfaction with the Grandparents Day celebration. “I enjoyed the lunch very much,” he said. “I liked seeing all the loving moments between the grandchildren and their grandparents.”

President Jimmy Carter signed a federal proclamation declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. What a way to celebrate Grandparents Day by promoting participation and community involvement.

Pictured in the attached photograph are (left to right):  Mike Patel, Maci Hunt, Maci Short and Dinky Ramsey