Cornell Estates and Mooberry Elementary
April 22, 2010
Cornell Estates and Mooberry Elementary Celebrate Year-long Community Alliance
In August 2009, Cornell Estates’ retirement resident Anne Matthes spotted an article in the Hillsboro Argus which described how some Hillsboro elementary schools were struggling last year. One of the schools mentioned was nearby Mooberry Elementary. Matthes approached Cornell Estates’ staff and asked “What can we do to help?” This little question has spawned a year-long community alliance between Cornell Estates Retirement & Assisted Living and Mooberry Elementary. Together, they have committed time, energy, and resources to five ongoing innovative intergenerational collaborative projects.
By the end of this school year, over 50 residents of Cornell Estates will have participated with over 150 students in these projects, including serving as bi-weekly Pen Pals with Miss Mito’s 3rd Grade class, volunteering each Monday afternoon in the SMART Reading program, and working with students in the after-school Math & Science Club. To support Mrs. Walls’ 6th grade music classes for their international music performance coming up in May, Cornell residents have been making costumes and props, as well as recording international books on tape to cheer the children on in their preparations. Mooberry principal Linda Bishop says, “The collaboration with Cornell Estates has been a “win-win” for our students and the senior residents. Children here have enjoyed writing letters, reading, and learning about their special friends at Cornell.We feel very fortunate to have this partnership.” This month on April 20th, Cornell Estates residents join with 4th graders at Mooberry Elementary in an intergenerational drumming circle, a fitting tribute to the motto of the year-long alliance that “we are better together”.
Matthes, a retired school psychologist, participates in three of the partnership projects. She says, “I have always enjoyed working with school children. Projects like SMART Reading allow us to participate in providing extra practice for the children, and they seem to really enjoy the extra one-on-one attention we offer.” Both Cornell Estates and Mooberry Elementary hope to expand their partnership in the 2010/2011 school year with additional projects to support the Mooberry children and the good work of the school staff and faculty.
This community alliance is one of many intergenerational partnerships that Cornell Estates has launched over the past year with local organizations as part of their “Engaging the Community” initiative. Through these community partnerships, Cornell Estates residents have the opportunity to engage in meaningful projects with members of their surrounding community. Research demonstrates that staying connected and contributing in the community is good for our health. By engaging with community members of all ages, we are staying healthy together, says Landa Carlson of Cornell Estates.
Pictured in photograph: Cornell Estates’ resident Anne Matthes sharing poetry with Mooberry Elementary Pen Pals Trystain Lybrand Long, Amber Gehrke, and Maria Madrigal.
