For many years the Fairfield School District has been inviting senior citizens from the community into our schools several times a year for lunch. These have grown to be large affairs…we typically welcome more than 200 seniors at each event.

I’m pleased to announce that the next senior citizen luncheon is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 29, at 11:30 a.m., at Fairfield Intermediate School. That school is at 255 Donald Drive, behind and off to the side of the football stadium. For parking, we’ll be using the lot at the rear of the school. It’s actually part of the bus lot, but we’ll move the buses around that day to clear plenty of parking spaces right next to the school.

HCR Manor Care, a senior living center on Woodridge Boulevard, partners with the school district in planning and holding the lunches. With their support, we are able to provide the lunches for $4 per person. To help us prepare, seniors who are planning to attend are asked to call Manor Care at 874-9933 to make a reservation. But anyone who hasn’t had a chance to make a reservation is also welcome to come – there will be plenty of space, and food, for everyone. The menu that day, by the way, will feature turkey pot roast as the main course.

This week we are sending out notices of the lunch to all the names on our list that we have gathered at the last few lunches. If any senior citizen in the community would like to be added to the list so that they always know when the next lunch is, they can do that by calling Manor Care at 874-9933 and providing their name and address.

Two other groups who help make these large luncheons possible also deserve thanks. The PTCs in our schools always help, decorating, providing door prizes and overseeing the serving, while the children at the schools are enthusiastic servers and also provide entertainment, usually a musical performance.

It is that connection between senior citizens and the children that is, I think, the most rewarding feature of the lunches. With all that is written and portrayed in the mass media about young people today, it is always reassuring to go into one of our schools and see how well behaved, polite and enthusiastic these children are. The opportunity for fellowship with other senior citizens, and with children, are why many senior citizens look forward so much to these events.

These luncheons are just one way that our community’s senior citizens stay in touch with schools. Many also attend athletic events, concerts, plays, school carnivals and festivals, and other activities, often to see a grandchild or neighbor play or perform. We offer to seniors who live in the district our VIP Gold Card, which allows them free admission to any school event that does not require reserved seating. I know that these cards are very popular, because I have personally signed every one given out this year, and there were a lot of them!

Cathy Milligan
Superintendent
Fairfield City School District

Published in the Fairfield Echo,Oct. 5, 2007