Grandparents go to school

Some students above the average eighth-grade age attended Havre Central Junior High last Friday during the 14th Annual Grandparents' Day at the school.

Grandparents from around the country came to celebrate and spend the day with their grandchildren. The event began with coffee, juice and doughnuts served in the social hall. Kirt Miller directed the school band to entertain at the social hour.

The students then took their grandparents to class with them for a variety of activities. Alma Seidel's sixth-grade class presented a play, "Elizabeth Blackwell, Medical Pioneer," and her eighth-graders did a square dance and and played a dice game.

Karen Kamla's seventh-graders presented a play, "The Odyssey," and her eighth-graders put on two mock court trials.

Cindy Flather's sixth-graders played I Love Jesus Bingo, and her seventh-graders did math tangram puzzles and played dice games. The grandparents did most of the winning in the games.

A talent show was held in the gym after lunch. The day ended with a celebration of Mass in St. Jude Thaddeus Church with the Rev. Robert Grosch officiating.

Of the grandparents at the celebration, 17 are alumni of St. Jude's themselves, and seven of them have attended the annual celebration for 10 years or more.

Jean Kato traveled the farthest to attend the day, coming 1,565 miles from Desert Hot Springs, Calif. Six others traveled from out of state, and 16 Montana towns other than Havre had residents at the celebration.

There were eight grandparents more than 80 years of age at the event, with 91-year-old Marie Vanderven holding the record this year.