Grandparents' and Friends' Day Celebrated in Lower School

Surrounded by generations of loving friends and family, the Lower School hosted its annual Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day on Monday, November 22, 2010. Amidst art-filled corridors exhibiting Lower School talent, students introduced their families to the place they call home and demonstrated a sincere gratitude for the love and support they receive day after day.

The day began with a festive “Thanksgiving Celebration” hosted by students and teachers, beginners through grade one, in RSPA Panther Hall. Led by Ranney School’s Developmental Arts teacher, Victoria Chriss, the Class of 2025 opened the assembly with a poetic recitation and dance. The following act consisted of members of the Class of 2024, performing a song and dance to “Surfin’ USA,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “The Hop.” Meanwhile, singing “Days of the Week,” “This Land is Your Land” and “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” the Class of 2023 received help from Head of School, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff, on the guitar. The audience then experienced a bit of Spanish culture when the Class of 2022 performed “Buenos Dias” in Spanish and finished off the Thanksgiving assembly with a song and dance to “Celebration.”

While the Class of 2018 shared stories with grandparents and parents in a colorfully decorated fifth grade wing throughout the morning, Lower School students, grades two through four, also hosted a “Thanksgiving Celebration” at RSPA Panther Hall in the afternoon. During the assembly, General Music educator, Dorothy Sobieski, led each class in musical concert. The Class of 2021 performed songs such as “Five Fat Turkeys,” “We Are Truly Thankful” and “Bringing in the Sheaves” using maracas, bells, mini-xylophones, triangles and wood blocks. The Class of 2020 then took the stage to perform songs such as “All Must Use the Thumb,” “Hot Cross Buns” and “An Old Familiar Song” with the woodwind instrument known as a recorder. Next, the fourth grade class performed “the Matrix Tone and Beats,” “Be Quiet, We Are Making Music,” and more using body percussions. Under the direction of Lilly Torrente, the fourth grade chorus also performed, singing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “The Little Light of Mine” and “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning.” Finally, the assembly ended with performances by the Lower School String Program, playing “Mary had a Little Lamb,” “Open String Samba” and “First Scale March,” to name a few.

Each year, generations of families take part in Ranney’s Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day. Retired Head of School, Margaret Mahon, shared this Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day with her grandson, Ryan Banich, in his Kindergarten class. While Ranney School emphasizes the importance of family and community, Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day allows each student to introduce loved ones to the classmates and teachers that they consider as part of their extended family. These skilled educators and classmates on Ranney’s small and inclusive campus are the individuals that shape each student into a successful adult in the real world.