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Boardman students spend the day with someone special
BOARDMAN
Bridget Benson, a second-grader at Robinwood Lane Elementary, invited her grandmothers to school Thursday for one simple reason.
“Because I love them,” she said bashfully.
Bridget, along with the rest of the kindergarten, first- and second-grade students at Robinwood, spent the morning with “someone special.” She invited Sandy Benson of Boardman and Dolores Burke, who came all the way from Conneaut.
Thursday marked the school’s annual Kids Invite Someone Special — or KISS — Day. Students invited the special someone of their choice and then spent part of the day showing them their classroom and school work and putting on a musical show.
The event, which Boardman schools have done for many years, is meant “to bring the community in,” Robinwood Lane Principal Don Robinson said. The other elementary schools have KISS Days throughout the school year.
“We get a lot of grandparents, aunts, uncles. It’s just nice to get them into our school and show them what it’s all about,” Robinson said.
Early Thursday, the school was packed with students and their loved ones. Each grade level gave a musical performance, led by Boardman Schools elementary music specialist Dean Wilson, who highlighted Boardman’s focus on music education. For example, first-grade students are getting ready to learn to read music, he said.
“I think it’s amazing. I never knew they were learning to sing in school like this, especially learning to read the notes,” said Tricia Vasvari of Poland, who was invited by her granddaughter Bailey Naples, a first-grade student.
KISS Day is just as much a treat for the kids as it for the attendees.
“What kids don’t enjoy cookies and punch and showing off what they’ve learned this year?” Robinson said.
“They’re so excited. They were like, ‘When are they coming?!’” said second-grade teacher Jan Johnson.
Her class made dioramas based on scenes from a book they read, and then they presented them.
First-grader Anthony Nespeca was happy to show his grandparents, Karen and Rod Nespeca, everything he’s been working on in school.
“He’s real excited,” Karen said. “Because I help him with his work, so he’s like, ‘See, I do good work!’ It’s a cute age.”