News
It's all about bingo and making great friendships
Scott Wagar
04/10/2012
For Bottineau’s second grade students, they have had a special year with some special individuals in the community who all have something in common with the second graders, a love for the game of bingo.
Since the school year started, these young scholars have been going to the Good Samaritan Society-Bottineau (GSS-B) to interact with the residents and play bingo with them.
“It is all about community service and that is our main goal with the students,” said Lori Erickson, second grade teacher at Bottineau’s Central School. “We have talked about community service a lot to the students and we teach them that by going to the Good Samaritan Center it is a “gift-give” situation, meaning we give the gift of being there and they give back to the kids by giving them the opportunity to meet someone they don’t know.”
Every month, one of the second grade classes goes to GSS-B and plays bingo with the residents, while spending the time visiting with them.
When someone calls out, “bingo,” during the game, the winner receives a miniature candy bar, which provides another learning opportunity for the students.
“The kids have learned about sharing,” Erickson said. “When the kids win candy bars they have learned to share their candy with the residents and students who didn’t win at the game. And, the sharing experience has gone over very well.”
Besides playing bingo with the GSS-S’s residents, the second grade students have also been creating cards for them, which they bring to the residents each time they visit GSS-B. On Monday, the kids brought Easter cards they had made, which the residents enjoyed receiving.
The bingo project was started in the 2010-11 school year and it has been a great success from the start.
“The kids get so excited about coming out here to play bingo. They are always asking when they are going to come back here,” Erickson said. “The kids also like to be with the residents and residents like to be with the kids.”
Bottineau second grade students have certainly learned an important lesson in its “gift-give” lesson, that of when caring for others, they too, will be cared for in return.