Grandparents Day attracts crowd at VC elementary school

There will be almost as many grandparents as there are students at Hugh Gallagher Elementary School in Virginia City for Grandparents Day.

Principal Michele VanVoorst has invited grandparents of the 125 students at the school to a special lunch and tour of the school Tuesday in honor of National Grandparents Day.

She said that as of Friday, 72 had signed up.

"I really want to include the families of my kids in the school," she said. "I want there to be a real strong school-to-home connection. And grandparents play such a strong role in children's lives."

During the lunch local ragtime pianist and music teacher Squeek LaVake will lead a sing-along. After lunch, the students and their grandparents will work on a special art project.

VanVoorst said the students would be tracing the hands of their grandparents, then tracing their own hands inside the outline of the adult's hand.

Fifth-grade students in the school's Leadership Club will be acting as greeters and giving tours of the school, she said.

"I'm hoping we're going to have a happy, fun day and it's going to be festive and the grandparents will get to appreciate what a nice school we have," VanVoorst said.

VanVoorst's own family, her parents and an aunt and uncle will also be attending, she said.

Lunch will be from the school's regular menu, but grandparents will have iced tea and the option of purchasing a chef's salad made by the Palace restaurant.

"I think it's a nice thing to include the community in the school," she said. "And kids love to have their families come to school."

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@ nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.