Deb Pillow, originally from Michigan and with a background in teaching and storytelling, found her perfect fit in GrandPals after moving to Princeton from Arizona just two-and-a-half years ago. With two married sons and four grandchildren spread across the country, GrandPals allows her to indulge her love for books and young children while enjoying retirement in Princeton.

What amazing, funny, precious…and smart….kindergartners there are in our schools! They all come with smiles and eagerness as we greet them each week. I have been blessed with four adorable “Pals,” two of whom can already read, one as fluently as I do !!!! When I have had him as a solo “Pal,” we take turns reading and it is a delight to see this bright, young mind at work. All four are sounding out words, recognizing words (though this has not been an emphasis during our time together), and enjoying stories. it is so amazing to see all their minds at work and their enthusiasm for books and reading.

What wonderful young minds, with a love of learning! The highlight of my week.

Bob Swierczek, a United States Navy veteran, resides in Princeton, where he selflessly dedicates his time to various volunteer roles. He serves as a crossing guard for the police department, assists as fire police for the fire department, reads to kindergarten classes, and organizes trips to Washington, D.C. for fellow veterans.

After several years of being in GrandPals and thinking of things to do other than reading, this year I decided to play some games with my Pals.

So after a few books and about ten minutes left in the session I started to play some games. First we did “Simon Says,” the next week “I Spy” and several more games as the weeks went by. This week we did “Password” and the kids got kick out of it. At first I came up with the word and gave them clues and after a few trys they would guess the word. We needed more than ten minutes since they really got into the game.

GrandPals is just not about reading with them, it’s about having fun with them.

Christine Piatek was a GrandPal at Littlebrook School before the pandemic and eagerly rejoined when the program returned in full swing. Before retiring, she worked as a public sector lawyer specializing in environmental law. Now, she dedicates her time to supporting the community, tutoring ESL with Literacy NJ-Mercer County, and volunteering with various programs. For Christine, reading with young students is a true joy — their enthusiasm for books makes every session special.

On Wednesday, I was in the hallway near our classroom in the Johnson Park school waiting for the rest of the GrandPals. An older boy was walking up the hallway and saw my name tag with “Grandpals” on it and said “Are you a Grandpal?” I said “I am.” And, he smiled, said “Wow,” and went into his classroom. It seems we’re famous!

Frank McBrearity is pursuing a degree in MGA (Master’s of Grandparent Administration) and spreading joy one fist bump at a time.

 

I believe I am making good progress toward my Masters in Grandparent Administration, the MGA, from Princeton.

I exited a class just before Christmas and a young woman caught my attention just outside the Library at Riverside. “Hi, are you Mr. Frank?”

“Yes, I am.” I replied.

“Well, my son Owen really enjoys your GrandPal sessions. He really likes you and looks forward to the Tuesday mornings with you. I get a report every Tuesday afternoon.”

“Thank you very much. It’s my pleasure. Owen has introduced me to PD&D Studies: Pokemon, Dragons, and Dinosaurs, a special group of studies and Owen is an expert.”

“Owen is an expert on these for sure. Thank you for your participation. Nice to meet you.”

This MGA experience helps to keep my attention away from the news of the day, and focus on my studies with Owen, Lia, Yuhito, and Kai. Terrific.