Ms. Meissner’s first grade class at Chisago Lakes Primary School walked across the street Tuesday to visit with residents at Ecumen Parmly LifePointes.

Ms. Meissner’s first grade class at Chisago Lakes Primary School walked across the street Tuesday to visit with residents at Ecumen Parmly LifePointes.

They brought their book “Schools Then and Now” to read to the residents. When students started reading to 100-year-old resident Doris Brand, they got a nice surprise.  Doris was able to tell them firsthand what it was like to teach in a one-room schoolhouse.  (Click here for a profile of Doris.)

Several other residents also had been school teachers and moved right back into their roles, helping the students along. “It went very well!” said Recreational Therapy Director Kathleen Manning.

The idea to do this came from Brooke Anderson, a nurse at Parmly who has a son in Ms. Meissner’s class.  Everybody thought it would work well — and it did. It’s now going to happen every month.