Seniors share knowledge with Tesnatee students

A group of seniors from the White County Senior Center came to spend time with members of the Tesnatee Gap Elementary School Beta Club on April 20. The Beta Club visited the senior center recently as part of the acts of service they complete together. By bringing them to school, they are returning the favor and showing them what activities they learn at school.

Principal Octavius Mulligan said that he wanted to bring the seniors back to school to give them a new experience. “A lot of these folks are pretty locked up I would imagine, and their only real outing is the senior center. So we thought we could bring out to show them what we do here,” said Mulligan.

Seniors and club members were split into three groups and made their rotation through art class, music class, and STEM lab. Art teacher Mrs. Brooks provided air dry clay and asked the students to show the seniors how to make a pinch pot with their hands. They then used different tools to make textures on the surface of the clay. Mulligan said the pots will be delivered to the senior center ounce they have dried.

From there they moved onto Mr. Bishop’s music class. Mr. Bishop gave them examples of what he teaches in class and the types of interments they use. The seniors were able to participate in exercises to help improve rhythm. They also heard the club members sing and dance during the session.

The last activity involved putting together snap circuit kits in Mrs.Trigg’s STEM lab. The students and seniors worked together to assemble parts of the circuit that would produce different effects. Teams of club members and teachers connected pieces to power a motor and a siren that made emergency service sounds.The outing ended with all groups coming together in the media center to enjoy a lunch before the seniors left school for the day.