STEM provides kindness for seniors during Kindness Challenge Week

From Jan. 25 through 29, Fallbrook STEM Academy students in grades K-6 participated in The Great Kindness Challenge with "The Club" senior daycare clients at the Foundation For Senior Care.

According to Lauren Marsh, the Adult Day Care Administrator, the Great Kindness Challenge started in Carlsbad and is now worldwide.

Foundation for Senior Care Director Patty Sargent said, "The Fallbrook STEM Academy asked us to participate in this unique program that is designed to create a culture of kindness in the classroom for K-6th grade. They wanted to interact with our seniors and do something nice for them. For our clients' health and safety, the week's events were done via Zoom." She added, "It was such a sweet thing. They were so cute."

Marsh said there were different classes and grades each day and different activities. "I was surprised by how curious they were about the seniors' lives."

The first day, Mrs. Rowley's fourth grade class asked Foundation clients Madeline and Irene about where they were born, how school was different, how life is different, and what they were doing during quarantine, their thoughts about COVID. They also asked about their hobbies, sports and challenges they have overcome in their lives.

Marsh said both of the ladies teared up a little (the teacher said at the beginning that they could skip any questions they didn't feel comfortable answering). "The kids were so excited and thoughtful. It was so cute seeing them at their desks raising their hands and excited to ask their questions. Madeline and Irene really enjoyed it too."

Mrs. Reilly's first grade class led a kindness art activity "first grade drawing class 1, 2, 3." This class presented an art project and showed the clients how to draw a peacock. They walked the clients through each step and everyone shared their art at the end of the session.

Mrs. Jarvis' first grade class led a "Reading to Seniors" activity. Marsh said, "The students read a book to our clients and we asked them questions about the story. They then asked our clients what their favorite books were. In all the activities the students loved to ask questions."

Sargent said, "These types of experiences are so special for clients that they continue to talk about them for days." Marsh and Sargent both said the organizer of the event, Zorayda Hernandez, did a great job organizing the event and getting all the teachers involved.

On the last day they worked with the Student Lighthouse Team, which consisted of different grades combined, and was led by school counselor Hernandez. They introduced an art and music activity.

Marsh said, "The last activity was a self-care activity. Students asked the clients to draw a picture of their favorite food or a picture of their favorite place, then asked them to describe it. Our client Maria said "The Club" was one of her favorite places because she could hang out with her friends and craft! The students played music while everyone was drawing their pictures."

Sargent said, "The Foundation for Senior Care is hoping to make this a long term partnership."

"The Club" at the Foundation for Senior Care provides health, psychological, and behavioral benefits for clients, especially for those with cognitive impairment. It also provides a critical respite for caregivers, giving them the reassurance that their loved one is being cared for.

For information about Foundation for Senior Care, call 760-723-7570.