Third Graders Bring Spring to Brother Bonaventure Residents
There's nothing like the smiles and chatter of eight year olds to brighten the spirits of eighty year olds! Children from two third grade classes at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Elizabeth paid a visit to the residents of Trinitas Regional Medical Center's Brother Bonaventure Extended Care Facility in early April.

As part of a social studies unit on the importance of community, elementary teachers Marcia Gincel, Mary Johnston, Margaret Lape and Victoria Wojcik brought their classes to visit with the 120 residents of the facility. The experience was designed to offer the children the opportunity to give back to the community by reaching out to older members of the community. And, what thanks they received from the residents who delighted in the visit!

The children created specially decorated Spring and Easter themed bags for each resident. Each child also contributed money to the project for the purchase of small items for the residents who enjoyed opening the bags and finding what was inside. Inside each bag were Japanese style Haiku poems of 17 syllables that each child wrote. The residents enjoyed the children's poems that captured their thoughts and impressions of the beauty of nature in spring.

Margaret Lape, whose husband James Lape is Vice President of Behavioral Health & Psychiatry and Long Term Care at Trinitas Regional Medical Center, said that she and the other teachers are encouraging the children to establish a connection with the Brother Bonaventure residents through "Thank You" notes they will write to the residents and future trips they hope to make to the facility.