Taking wing this year following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the High School has enlisted Orana Residential Care and the Deniliquin Children’s Centre to be part of the program.
The Year 10 child studies class will develop a seven week program which will facilitate relationships between the elderly and preschool age children through a series of visits with a range of activities.
“With the students running the sessions, it will instil leadership skills within the group,” Mrs Jenkins said.
“It will also create pathways into childcare or other related fields”.
Deniliquin Children’s Centre general manager Felicity Michael is excited for the benefits to all involved.
“Building connections is important, and it takes a village to raise a child,” she said.
“It will be nice for our children to have a village.”
Sarah Myatt is the teacher leading the preschool group into the program, and she is looking forward to “getting the kids back out into the community, interacting with different age groups”.
“I am interested to see their social skills with teenagers and the elderly, which is very different from our everyday with same age children and teachers,” she said.
Orana facility manager Amanda Cleary Schofield said while the program will focus on development of the younger generations, she said her residents will gain a lot of benefit too.
“I am thrilled to be a part of it, and really excited about the innovation across the generations.
“Having an opportunity for residents to interact with other generations is part of our human process.
“Families don’t always have the chance to visit, so it will be nice for the residents to form relationships with other age groups other than staff and visitors.
“They will enjoy engaging in activities that they would not normally get to do”.
Activities are likely to include making name tags, games, morning teas, painting, craft and giving both the preschoolers and the Orana residents a chance to ‘Tell me a story about Deni’.
Collages of the experience will also be created as part of the program, as a lasting memory for Orana and the preschool.
While next term’s program is a one off at this stage, all involved hope it may become an annual program.
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