The excitement in the air was palpable as young students grasped the hands of their grandparents and proudly escorted them into their elementary school at 8 a.m. The reason for the early morning visit? Granola with Grandparents, a very special event in early September that allows kindergarten and first-graders at New Philadelphia elementary schools to bring their grandparents to breakfast and show them where they spend their days.

Grandmother Shelley Garabrandt Foote attended York Elementary in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, and came with her first-grade grandson, Cole Miku, who munched on a granola bar and giggled excitedly as his grandmother sat across the table from him.

“I remember everything. Things are so different now,” she commented, noting that the gymnasium floor had been wood when she attended York.

“There are probably a good 50 percent of the grandparents attending who actually attended school here themselves,” noted York kindergarten teacher Sherri Norman. “I can hear them coming down the hallways, saying ‘well, this was the so and so room when I went to school,’ and talking to their grandchildren about their experiences.”

The program, now in its second year, began after Central Elementary began Muffins with Mom and Donuts with Dad breakfasts, and all the other elementary schools quickly joined in.

“With that, we did not want to leave out the grandparents, so that’s where we came up with Granola with Grandparents,” noted York principal Donna Edwards. “I don’t think they care what they are eating, as long as they are spending time with that little special one. It’s just a pleasure to see the delight on the faces of the kindergartners and first-graders as much as the grandparents.”

“Of course, the little ones are always quite fond of their grandmas and grandpas,” said Jackie Triplett, principal at South Elementary. “They come in to the school at 8 a.m. with their grandchildren, before school starts. They have milk and granola bars, usually two kinds of bars, so they have fun with that. Everybody likes sitting with grandma and grandpa. Our teachers are so gracious, and help the children make little place mats. The grandparents get to eat on the place mats that their grandchildren made, and they have a great time just socializing.”

Charlyn Menapace, along with her husband, Kip, were delighted to have breakfast with their grandchildren, Nathan, who is in kindergarten, and Emma, who is in first grade, both at South Elementary.

“We had granola in the gym area, and the PTO took our pictures to send to us. They had blueberry and chocolate chip granola bars, although the chocolate chip was pretty well gone, as was the chocolate milk. But they enjoyed it, and they had a really good time,” commented Charlyn Menapace, smiling. “Nathan was so excited to have us there, and to show us what he had packed in his lunch box for later. He showed us his room, and where he sits, and also a whole presentation he had done of himself. I learned a lot about him that I didn’t know before, about his wishes, and his favorite things. It surprised me that he wanted to get his own trophy. His big brother has a trophy, so he must want one, too.”

Bob Alsept, superintendent of schools, attended each of the Granola with Grandparents events, which were held on different days, and enjoyed visiting with the grandparents and seeing the happy grins on the faces of the young students.

“The grandparents and the kids love this,” he said. “The thing that I enjoyed hearing was how welcomed the grandparents feel, and how much they enjoyed coming in and seeing the classrooms and getting to share some time with the kids. That’s what it is all about. It brings back the focus.”

Edwards agreed. “Grandparents are a very, very important part of their grandchildren’s lives.”