A VERY special tea party took place in Newcastle recently, when some of the town’s older residents were made to feel like VIPs.
Just days before the end of term, the reception and P1 pupils at All Children’s Integrated PS hosted a fancy get-together, with some of the residents of Donard and Glen folds as the guests of honour.
The celebration was the children’s way of thanking the pensioners for their help and friendship in recent months, which came about as part of an intergenerational project.
The initiative kicked off earlier in the school year. Old and young alike created some fantastic memories through gardening, a Forest School programme and craft projects.
The children and the residents also enjoyed birthday singsongs and the fold residents presented the children with very thoughtful Christmas gifts.
All Children’s IPS teacher, Michelle McIvor, explained the children wanted to host the tea party to treat their newfound friends, and neighbours, and thank them for their kindness.
Dressed up for the special occasion, the children hosted the visitors perfectly, leaving Miss McIvor and her colleagues feeling “very proud” of them.
“The parents went all-out, we had the boys and girls looking their very best and it was lovely to see the reactions as our guests arrived in for the party,” she said.
Around a dozen residents took part in the event, with several others unable to attend for various reasons.
And, as Miss McIvor acknowledged, it wasn’t just the pupils who benefitted from the new friendships.
“The look on our visitors’ faces as they came through the doors and saw the effort the children had gone to was brilliant.
“The children got so much out of this, as have the fold residents, and it’s great to have formed this relationship with them.
“It’s something we will certainly be building on,” she explained.
The local teacher added that the partnership with the older residents helped to “stimulate” some of her pupils’ speech and language skills, in addition to boosting their confidence and bringing them out of their shell as it were.
“All in all, it has been brilliant for everyone, and I think, in certain cases, it was really beneficial to have these children bringing a breath of fresh air and, I suppose, a change of scenery for some of our new friends,” she continued.
“It’s lovely to know that this new relationship with some of the folds’ residents has had so many benefits, for people from very different generations.
“The positives have a ripple effect on everyone involved and our children and their families should be very proud of that aspect,” Miss McIvor concluded.
As part of the earlier Forest School workshops, the participants, despite their age differences, bonded through this unique chance to learn about each other and the environment.
Residents of both folds, which are operated by Radius Housing, shared their memories about outdoor play and learning, through planting sessions, den building and making art. This aspect concluded with a celebration event where they all toasted tasty s ’mores over a fire.
As well as the benefits of learning and intergenerational sharing, the programme had clear good relations benefits by providing an environment that enabled different backgrounds to come together to learn.
The Forest Schools Programme is supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s ‘Housing for All’ shared housing programme, which has its origins in the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy.
