Old and young gathered outside the doors of Betsy Ross Elementary School about 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 19, with grandparents gearing up for a breakfast with students, staff and Forest Park District 91 administrators. Members of the Southside Parent Teacher Organization served up breakfast to grandparents, grandchildren and other family members.
Jenny Barbahen, PTO president, called the breakfast “very fun” and “well attended” by D91 community members like Diane Strickland, grandmother of kindergarten student Anthony, who came to the breakfast with her husband Eric and daughter-in-law Dilisha Wormely.
“Anthony loves coming here. And the small class size offers him the benefits of personalized education,” Strickland said in a statement.
Doris Balfanz, a Forest Park resident who has lived in the village since the 1940s, likewise attended the event with an Anthony — her great-grandson, Anthony “AJ” Scolaro.
“I have great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. It’s a wonderful event,” Balfanz said in a statement.
Along with breakfast, students gave family members tours of their locker. Betsy Ross Principal Bill Milnamow said in a statement that he enjoyed seeing all the happy faces at the breakfast.
“This really is a special occasion. It’s nice to give grandparents their individual day,” Milnamow said.
Nona Tepper
