WARREN Grandparents to go extra mile for a special day at school

Wednesday marked the event's fourth year.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Susie and Bill Rice drove four hours so they could spend the morning with their granddaughter at her school.
"I wouldn't miss it," Susie Rice said of Jefferson Elementary School's Grandparents Day. "I think it's very important. They need everyone's support."
The couple awoke at 4 a.m. to drive from their home in Pomeroy, Ohio, to be with their granddaughter, Courtney Robinson.
"I let them read things that I wrote for them," said Courtney, 6, a first-grader.
Courtney's letters thanked her grandparents for making the trip.
"They were beautiful," Susie Rice said. "She spends every summer with us."
This marks the fourth year for the grandparents event.
"Every year it gets bigger," said Principal Camille Pinkard.
Participation
About 65 grandparents attended festivities Wednesday, which included classroom visits, crafts and lunch.
"We try to reach out to the families because they are the first teachers," Pinkard said.
Books from the OhioReads program are distributed, and parents and grandparents are urged to read with their children.
"If they come all four years, they'll have books in their home library to read," the principal said.
Coretha Jarrett of Warren and her niece, Danajah Freeman, 5, who is in kindergarten, took advantage of a few minutes between activities to read "Arthur's Nose," a book they picked up at the school.
"She's starting to recognize sounds and letters," Jarrett said.
The pair also made magnets with Halloween faces on them.
"I'm going to put it on my refrigerator," Danajah said.
The day was a family affair for Matthew, 6, and Bobby Brown, 9. They were accompanied by their mother, Rebecca Brown, grandfather George Egner of Niles and great-grandmother, Pat Ronian of Fowler.
"It's really fun," said Bobby in between assembling a candy corn picture frame. "I'm going to put a picture of me, Matthew and my baby brother, Brendan, in it."
Matthew was busy directing his mother and grandfather in designing a vampire-face magnet.
"Keep the eyes in the bag so we don't lose them," he cautioned.
Bonnie Burks accompanied her grandson, Keion Burks, 5.
"I helped him with his art today, and we painted harvest flowers," said Burks, who also sits on the school's parent advisory committee.