Back to School: Grandparents Visit Donahue Classes

In a second-grade classroom at the on Bengal Street in Barnegat, grandparents sat squeezed into their children’s small chairs, helping their grandkids decorate paper frames. Just a few doors down, grandparents of third-graders were working on a list of adjectives to describe their grandchildren.

 “Smart, friendly, athletic, caring,” was what Ante Jelenic of Little Egg Harbor had to say about third-grader Andrew Jelenic.

“I think he might like my classroom,” said Andrew, 8, of his grandfather. “We always do fun things around here. Do you like it?” he asked, turning to his grandfather.

“Yes, I like it,” Jelenic answered with a smile.

In other classrooms, students read to their grandparents, prepared a presentation or sang a song. Yesterday’s event was a part of a cherished tradition, in which Barnegat grandparents visit their grandchildren’s classes at the beginning of each year.

In addition to the 297 Donahue School students, whose grandparents received invitations to attend the day, 58 students from the participated, as well.

“We moved to Barnegat seven years ago,” resident Susana Pirez said. “My oldest granddaughter started school in Collins back then. And we’ve been coming [to this event] every year ever since. You always come away with such a nice feeling, because you’re able to meet their friends and to get a real good sense of what they are doing during the day.”

“It’s nice for the teacher too,” added Jennifer Ryan, who has been teaching second grade at the Donahue School for nine years. “I love being able to meet the kids’ grandparents, and not just their parents.”

"I wish more schools did this,” said Cindy Beggs of Brick Township, whose grandchildren from other towns have no “Grandparents’ Day.” “I think it brings us closer.”

Beggs’s granddaughter, Brielle Schuber, seemed to agree.

“I think [Grandparents Day] should be every day,” said Schuber, 7.