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Schools

Wesmere Second-Graders Show Off Their School for Their Grandparents

Teacher Lisa Mueller hosted a multi-generational event in celebration of National Grandparents Day, which is Sunday.

Second-grader Tyler Zelinski spent Friday dining on McDonald's with his two grandmothers and discussing how they didn't have computers or whiteboards in their elementary schools.

Twins Bryan and Matthew Graham, 7, both received chocolate cupcakes that three of their grandparents brought to their classroom.

And 7-year-old Kamea Lett got to share her lunch with not only her grandma but her great-grandma as well.

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Students in Lisa Mueller's second-grade classroom at Wesmere Elementary School received a special treat Friday. In honor of National Grandparents Day, which is Sunday, they invited their grandparents to join them for lunch.

They spent the morning drawing welcome signs in chalk on the sidewalk leading up to the school's main entrance. They made cards and decorated posters.

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The children worked with their grandparents to see how many words they could create out of the word "grandparents" and created a Venn diagram comparing their grandparents' schools with their own.

After lunch, the children sang Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," while holding up large posters they illustrated to represent the lyrics.

"It creates a bond with our grandkids," said Cathy Stewart, who is Tyler's grandma. "Someday we won't be here, and he's got this to remember."

"It's a great experience to see him, check out his classroom and see all his friends," Tyler's other grandma Jolene Giglio said.

Mueller has had a Grandparents Day luncheon in her classroom for the past nine years.

During her own school years at St. Jude Catholic School in Joliet, she fondly remembers her grandparents coming to her church and school, so it was only natural that she wanted to continue the tradition when she became a teacher, she said.

"I really loved having them in school," Mueller said. "I was so excited to show them, 'Look what I can do. Look what I am learning.' It was a big deal."

She said her students have been buzzing all week about who was coming to see them and what they were going to bring for lunch.

Having a grandparent or a special aunt, uncle or friend if a grandparent cannot come, makes the children feel special and important, Mueller said.

"It's exciting and fun to see their teacher and their room," said Pat Miles, Bryan and Matthew's grandma, adding it was her first time seeing the inside of their school.

"Anytime you get to see your grandkids, it's good," added George Graham, one of Bryan and Matthew's grandpas.

Mike Hall lives 40 miles away and gets to see his grandson Logan Hall about once a month. He said he had been looking forward to seeing his grandson, his school and his schoolwork.

Logan called his experience with his grandpa on Friday simply "awesome."

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