— Photo courtesy NMUSD
More than 500 grandparents and 1,000 students participated in this year’s Newport Harbor High School Annual Grandparents Day, school officials announced last week.
The event that has grown since its inception 15 years ago, Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials wrote in an announcement shared on Nov. 19.
“This is such an awesome tradition for everyone,” NHHS Principal Dr. Sean Boulton said in a prepared statement. “The event strengthens the relationship between the parent group and the school community.”
The event is a collaboration between the Newport Harbor Schools Foundation, the school administration, and the community. Proud grandparents and special guests (attending in lieu of grandparents) have flown in from as far away as Hawaii to participate in the program, which is followed by lunch with the younger generation, according to the NMUSD press release.
“The goal of the program is to give students a formal opportunity to bond with their grandparents or special guest and learn from them and their history,” NMUSD officials explained in the message.
Student musicians and choral acapella singers greet the event participants in the theater foyer. Guests learn about student life in a “Day in the Life of Sailor” video, along with other student-created videos showcasing specific student programs and offerings, according to the school message.
As the grandparents and kids ate lunch, other students assisted in serving food and desserts (baked by NHHS culinary students) and took photos. This year, guests received a commemorative frame bearing the school’s name and the date, NMUSD officials reported.
— Photo courtesy NMUSD
