Friday, February 12, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5
Valentine’s Day: Pacifi c Ridge students ‘share the love’
IF YOU GO
What: Share the Love drive-by Valentine’s distribution
When: 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Pacifi c Ridge Elementary School, 2000 Spruce Dr.
Seaside High School (new location), 2600 Spruce Dr.
old Seaside High School parking lot, U.S. Hwy 101
old Broadway Middle School parking lot, U.S. Hwy 101
Cartwright Park, 1942 S. Franklin St.
School staff will be at the locations ready to wave to
students, pass out treats and share some love. Families of
Pacifi c Ridge Elementary School students are invited to
drive-by each location and receive a treat at each stop. All
participants are asked to wear masks and stay inside the car.
Staff will deliver the treats.
Continued from Page A1
“There’s just so much rich-
ness there.”
For the past few weeks,
seniors at Avamere have put
together Valentine’s cards
with goodies, which the
teachers plan to distribute
to students during the Share
the Love event on Saturday.
At the same time, some
elementary school teach-
ers have been working with
their kids to create fun Val-
entine’s decorations for the
retirement home that will
be hung up in public areas
so everybody on campus
can enjoy them for a couple
months.
Erica Acton, a fi fth-grade
teacher at Pacifi c Ridge,
said it’s been enlighten-
ing to see how the students
have connected to the proj-
ect. Because of the COVID-
19 pandemic, young peo-
ple have experienced a taste
of what it’s like to be iso-
lated, even housebound,
or not have as much social
interaction.
“There is a connection
that maybe there wouldn’t
have been,” Acton said.
“My class was more under-
standing and compassionate
about why you would want
something on the walls to
cheer you up. … They’re
feeling similar to the way
the residents do.”
Zellmer echoed that sen-
timent, saying the residents
also “feel separated from
the community, so this is
really important right now.”
Fifth-graders share Valentine’s Day wishes
The nature of their
involvement can vary. Zell-
mer spoke of one woman
who “is gung-ho about read-
ing on Monday morning,”
but as she struggles with
dementia, “she reminds me
to remind her.” Another
resident attended a recent
story time, excited to see
the children, but he wasn’t
quite comfortable doing the
actual reading.
“He wanted to sit behind
me and hear the song,”
Zellmer said. “It was very
fun for me to be witness.
I think next week, he’ll be
more comfortable to do the
reading.”
Zellmer, a former ele-
mentary school teacher, is
a big proponent of fostering
intergenerational relation-
ships, particularly between
youth and older adults.
“It’s a very unique rela-
tionship, especially in this
day and age when a lot of
people don’t know many
elders,” she said. “The
elders have so much to
offer, and the children bring
such a smile to their hearts.”
Looking ahead
Although the partnership
is limited to virtual inter-
actions because of the pan-
demic, Zellmer has a broad
vision for how it could
evolve in the future. She’d
like to see the senior liv-
ing community host pic-
BUSINESS
Directory
ELECTRICAL
• New Construction
Jo Anne, a resident of Avamere at Seaside, creates a Valentine’s
Day card for a Seaside student to receive during the Share the
Love event that teachers and administrators are organizing
for Saturday.
‘THE ELDERS HAVE SO MUCH TO
OFFER, AND THE CHILDREN BRING
SUCH A SMILE TO THEIR HEARTS.’
• Panel Changes &
Upgrades
• Add Circuits or
Lighting
CCB #198257
CALL US for your next electrical project!
• Generators
• Repairs
503-739-7145
712 S. Holladay Dr. • Seaside, OR
Monday-Friday 8 am -5 pm
www.jjelectricservice.com
FLOORING
Erin Zellmer
Avamere life enrichment director
nics, beach outings and fi eld
trips, or have the children
come spend the day put-
ting together a play with the
residents.
“It gives the children a
chance to see the elders in
a different light,” Zellmer
said, adding the intergener-
ational element “gives them
an insight into the history
of that person’s life, which
is very different from their
own.”
In the meantime, she and
the teachers will continue
exploring virtual activi-
ties to foster the connec-
tion. From asking the young
people to lead virtual work-
shops on how to use various
technologies to encouraging
the residents to share their
histories with the kids, they
see plenty of potential.
“We’re in the brain-
storming part,’” Acton said,
adding the students know so
much that they don’t nec-
essarily consider a distinct
skill, although it would be
useful for others. “Right
now, it’s super import-
ant just to feel connected
to the community because
we don’t go places or see
as many different types of
people.”
CCB# 205283
Luxury vinyl planks and tile.
you walk on
our reputation
Flooring
Installation
3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon
503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com
LANDSCAPING
YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF (no scotch broom)
• La urelwood Compos t
• Soil A mend ments
• Pla nting Ma cMix
• Mulch
503-717-1454
3 4 1 5 4 HIGHW AY 2 6
SE ASIDE , O R
Presented By
Laurelwood Farm
Connecting seniors and
youth
The Valentine’s Day
exchange is the latest step
in a developing collabora-
tion between students and
the life enrichment program
at Avamere at Seaside that
Zellmer initiated several
weeks ago.
“It fi ts really, really well
with our strategic plan,”
instructional coach Cate
Blakesley said, adding the
district’s mission, vision
and goals all refer to com-
munity outreach and part-
nerships as part of a well-
rounded and engaging
education for young people.
The fi rst step was start-
ing a virtual story time for
three kindergarten classes at
Pacifi c Ridge. The sessions,
which take place Monday
and Tuesday mornings via
Zoom, typically lasts about
15 minutes and involve one
of the older adults reading a
preselected book to the stu-
dents. Zellmer invites any-
one at Avamere to have a
turn if they want.
• Remodels
Avamere
ELECTRICAL
• Repairs
• Generator
installation &
servicing
• New
construction
• Remodels
Serving the North Oregon
Coast since 1950!
Serving Clatsop & Tillamook Counties
503.738.8391
CCB#3226
FLOORING
ST
51 Annual Northwest Ag Show
FEBRUARY 16–18, 2021
Randall Lee’s 0% FINANCING
AVAILABLE
FREE VIRTUAL EVENT
Register to attend the Pesticide
Safety Seminar for OSHA Credits
Window Treatments, Fabric, Designer Wallpaper,
Counter Tops, All Flooring and Miele Vacuums
Visit Our
Outlet!
Randall Lee’s Seaside • 2311 N. Roosevelt Dr. • 503-738-5729
rlflooring@yahoo.com • www.RandallLeesFlooring.com
Full 3-Day line-up of Educational Videos & Equipment Demos
• LIVE Oregon FFA Roundtable
• Equipment Demonstrations
presented by Kubota
• Beekeeping 101, Chick Cahat &
Nutrition with Nutrena presented by
Coastal Farm & Ranch
• Metal Buildings for Agriculture
presented by Pacific Building Systems
• Soil Health presented by Dr. Jimz
• Preserve your Financial Legacy
presented by Equilus Financial
• 1st-Ever Hydroelectric Mover
presented by HydroSide Systems
• Equipment Demonstrations presented
by Brim Tractor, Holt Ag Systems,
Doerfler Tractors, & GK Machine
Randall Lee’s Flooring Outlet • 3579 Hwy 101 Gearhart • 503-738-6756
Warehouse pricing • Open to the Public • Hundreds of instock rolls & remnants • In House Binding
CONSTRUCTION
B oB M c E wan c onstruction ,
inc .
E xcavation • u ndErground u tiitiEs
r oad w ork • F ill M atErial
s itE P rEParation • r ock
owned and operated by
M ike
and
C eline M C e wan
503-738-3569
34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR
P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR
S erving
Exhibitor
Showcase
Equipment
Showcase
REGISTER TODAY AT
ENTER TO WIN
A $500 COASTAL
GIFT CARD
Avamere
Valentine’s Day cards made
by Pacifi c Ridge Elementary
School students decorate
the common areas at
Avamere at Seaside.
Agri-Business
Showcase
Learning
Center
NorthwestAgShow.com
the
p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302
CREMATION
Ocean View
Funeral & Cremation Services
Major Sponsors
Simply register to attend
at NorthwestAgShow.com
www.OceanViewAstoria.com
Lowest Cost Cremation
On The Northern Oregon Coast
See our website for Up-To-Date Pricing Comparisons.
Also registered in the State of Washington
NorthwestAgShow.com | 800-882-6789 | #NWAGShow