Students from Fairview Primary School visited residents at ValleyView last Wednesday as part of their history studies.
The year 2 class made bracelets to give to each of the residents, sung them a song, asked questions about growing up and read to them.
Fairview Primary School year 2 teacher Andrea Byrne said interaction between the younger and older generations is really important.
“A lot of the kids in my class don’t have anything to do with older people and when we walked in a few of them were really surprised,” she said.
“It’s a good lesson for the kids and just to see the residents faces light up is beautiful because some of them don’t get visitors.
“The students interviewed the residents about how they got to school, the games they used to play and what they did after school, just comparing what the kids do today to what the residents did some years ago.”
ValleyView occupational therapist Stephanie Carr said they always appreciate people coming in to visit the residents.
“We love people coming in to entertain our residents,” she said.
“A lot of younger people don’t have grandparents nearby, or don’t have a close relationship with them so it’s good for them to interact with older people and be exposed to people of an older age and people in wheelchairs.
“Visitors bring a lot of life and activity to the residents, which they don’t get everyday.”
Mrs Byrne said she planned to take her class back to visit.
“We are hoping to go back again next term and do a different activity, like playing games,” she said.
