Celebrating Family – Grandparents and Friends Day

For some grandparents it was the first time they’d visited the new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall, for others it was a familiar and welcoming experience. But for all those who attended the Grandparents and Friends Day celebration on November 24, it was a memorable way to begin the holiday season as they watched their grandchildren on stage and visited with them in their classrooms.

This year’s Grandparents and Friend’s Day began with a warm welcome from Head of Lower School, Patricia Marshall, followed by special performances from the Classes of 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020. Under the direction of kindergarten teacher, Victoria Chriss and Lower and Middle School music teacher, Lilly Torrente, Ranney’s youngest students, from Beginners through first grade, sang and danced their way through a selection of songs including “The Bumble Bee Song”, “I Really Love to Dance”, “Tutti Frutti”, and “I’m a Nut.” Each grade performed several carefully choreographed numbers, stomping, twirling, and jitterbugging, accompanied by hand bells, triangles and castanets. Needless to say, their performances were met with resounding applause and cheers from the audience. Dr. Lawrence Sykoff, Head of School, thanked grandparents, parents, friends and teachers for their tireless support of the Lower School, noting that this was the first Grandparents and Friends Day to be held in RSPA Panther Hall. Following the day’s theme, Dr. Sykoff spoke about the importance of family in the life of every child, quoting from a poem about grandparents and their grandchildren. “…Together they create a chain of love, linking the past with the future. The chain may lengthen, but it will never part...”

Once the younger grades completed the performance portion of the day, fifth grade grandparents were invited to visit classrooms where they participated in some lively Q&A discussions. In Mr. McGough’s class, students asked grandparents questions such as, “What kind of games did you play when you were a kid?”, “What was your first real job?”, and “What one event do you remember most from when you were in school?” In Mrs. Fowlkes’, Mrs. Moruzzi’s and Mrs. Ketcham’s classes, grandparents were encouraged to talk about their often moving and diverse family histories, including stories told by a grandfather who escaped persecution by the Nazis, a grandmother who grew up in Haiti and went to school in a classroom of 45 children, and a grandmother who grew up in Pennsylvania and went to school in a four room schoolhouse.

Later in the day, it was time for the Classes of 2019, 2018 and 2017 to take the stage in RSPA Panther Hall. Led by Mrs. Torrente, the second grade classes presented “A Salute to America,” a series of choral poetry readings and song that included such well-known favorites as “You’re a Grand Ole’ Flag” and “Yankee Doodle.” The third grade class followed with a “Thanksgiving Celebration,” displaying their instrumental talents with a performance of “Hot Cross Buns” on soprano recorders, and the African folk song, “Obac Asi Me Nsa,” which roughly translated means “Show me Nana,” on traditional African instruments. Fourth graders introduced hand bells and sand blocks, and even demonstrated their “rapping” ability with the song “Over No Rive.” But it was the grand finale featuring all three grade levels and Dr. Sykoff that brought down the house. Accompanying the children on his Martin guitar, Dr. Sykoff led the students in a rousing rendition of Woodie Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” putting everyone in the holiday spirit.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.