Helga Waldrop is introducing Evening Street’s choir to the residents of the Friendship Village in Columbus.  Helga has arranged for the 4th and 5th grade choir from Evening Street to perform for the residents for the past four years in December.  The students also present residents with gift bags of candies, Kleenex, lip balm, lotion, etc. that they collect year round.  It's appropriate that Helga arranges this in the month that we celebrate the word "Compassion", she is a shining example of the word!  The choir also performed at the PCC Circle of Grandparents Holiday Potluck in January, 2009.

Joan Van De Weghe, a third year member is following her grandchild at Brookside and clearly loves every minute of her time with the students.

At the non-mandatory monthly meetings, speakers help Grandparent volunteers with insight and tips on their teachings.  Here, Amelia Shearer, a teacher who has worked with pre-school through 8th grade talks to members about incorporating pop-culture into their discussions to help relate to their students and to hold their attention.

Mary Winter has followed her granddaughter's at Evening Street for 4 years.  Walking down the hall of Evening Street with Mary is like escorting a rock star!  She is greeted by hugs galore!

Joan Ottolenghi (above) discusses Tolerance with an eager group of first grade students  at Colonial Hills Elementary.  Joan is so devoted to our program that she has adopted all the Kindergartens and first grades at Colonial Hills!  She is one of our most ambitious "Grandparents"!

The Circle isn't just about relationships with students, as seen here with 8 year Grandparent volunteer Gay Blossom (from Toledo) and 4 year Grandparent volunteer Paula Wilt who together worked with all of the sixth grades at Bluffsview.

Braxton Tewart has been with the program since it's inception.  His dedication and loyalty to the PCC Circle of Grandparents is demonstrated by his teaching all the 5th grade classes at Evening Street and his own daughter's 3rd grade class at Liberty. 

There is never a dull moment when members get together.  Here charter members Braxton Tewart and Liz Hague clown around at a photo shot for their Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame photo shoot.

These wise 1st graders chose to go and visit their Grandparent in her home as a prize for filling up their marble jar last Spring!  Grandma was ready with a story.  Their teacher writes that "The monthly words are really helping build character and truly teach kids how to be good people".

Married couples enjoy working in the same class.  Shown here are Paul and Dorothy Kraus reading to their 3rd grade class at Slate Hill.  Teacher Karen Waldeck wisely asked Grandpa Paul to tell the children about World War II to supplement their unit on Japan. He shared his experience aboard a U-boat on the last day of the war. 

The enjoyment that Bill Crowley gets from our program comes through loud and clear!  Bill recently switched from 1st grade at Evening Street to 3rd grade at Wilson Hill.  The flexibility of the program allows Grandparents to switch grades and schools. 

Mary McRury, shown here presenting a program on bullying at the new year's potluck is also the Circle of Grandparents liaison to the PCC Board.  Mary also is a 5th grade grandparent volunteer at Liberty.

Georgia Reinbold works with Dr. Cordova's 4th grade class at Wilson Hill.  Georgia brings her love of arts and crafts to her classroom by helping her class create a paper quilt of all the character traits at the end of the year.  We were all thrilled for Georgia, when after 8 years as serving as a loving and caring "Grandparent" to hundreds of students at Wilson Hill, she became an actual Grandparent to a beautiful granddaughter!  

You don't have to be retired to be in the program.  John Stephen (yes, he's my sweetie) is shown with his Granby 1st grade class teaching Diligence through the story of the Crow and the Pitcher.  John found the flexible schedule of his monthly visits fit easily into his work schedule.  John moves his Grandparenting duties to Worthington Park this year.

Does that look like a look of satisfaction?  Dynamo Dorie Eisenman loves teaching in Ms. Stefamacci's Kindergarten class at Brookside!   She has worked with the same teacher for the past 9 years!  Many will get hugs and "high fives," years after the kids move on to higher grades.

Dorie engages her Kindergartner's in all kinds of fun and creative ways.  Here she has taken them into the cafeteria to form a giant "R" for Responsibility!

Barbara Boucher uses a book about rain forests to illustrate her points on Responsibility to the environment.  Barbara also used pictures from her vacation to a South American Rain Forest to supplement her teaching.  The kids loved it!   Barbara is shown here in her 4th grade class at Wilson Hill Elementary.  Barbara and her teacher enjoyed their relationship so much that when the teacher was moved from 4th grade to Kindergarten, Barbara went with her!  It is not unusual for "Grandparents" to build special relationships with their teachers as well as the students!

Charter Members Elizabeth Hague and Kathy Shaffer appeared on the aptly named television show "Finer with Age" in August.  They were asked by the Ohio Department of Aging to discuss the Circle of Grandparents.  The show appeared on the Ohio News Network.  Word on the street is that Betty White is worried about the competition!

Abramo Ottolenghi uses Dr. Seuss to illustrate Commitment to his students at Colonial Hills Elementary. Abe knows all about commitment.  He has worked with both 6th grade classrooms at Colonial Hills for the past 10 years.  Last year Abe used power point presentations on the Smart Board in his lessons - impressive!  Abramo and his wife Joan (pictured above) have devoted their time and talents to the Worthington school district for years in many different capacities. 

Elizabeth Hague also knows Commitment!  She is a Charter Member of the PCC Circle of Grandparents.  In addition to working with 3rd graders at Wilson Hill, Liz enriches the Worthington Days experience by helping the children create a pioneer doll from material. Thanks to the tireless efforts of this charter member and others, it is easy to see how the PCC Circle of Grandparents has become such a program that is the envy of other school districts!

Here is a PCC Circle of Grandparents member who can really talk about Commitment!  Gay Blossom travels from her home in Toledo to visit her grandchildren's classrooms at Worthington Hills monthly and has been doing so for 8 years (that's a lot of miles)!  Amazingly, she isn't the only Grandparent from out of the area.  We have Grandparents participating from Akron, Centerville, and even Augusta, Kentucky.

In her first year as a Grandparent for a 2nd grade class at Brookside, Cheryl Leiss used her home economics degree to create a character quilt.  The quilt has pictures and writings from her students that were transferred to fabric.  At the wish of her class the quilt was donated to the Ronald McDonald House last summer.  Cheryl was also recognized by the Board of Education for her work with her class.

Betty Menear is an 9 year member who is known for her story telling abilities.  Here she is telling a story to the 4th Grade class of Nancy Wharton's at Bluffsview.  The children are totally mesmerized!

Carol Bogaards is one of our most enthusiastic members.  She absolutely lights up when she works with her granddaughter's class at Worthington Estates (and the kids light up when she walks into the room)!