Fifth graders at Jamison Elementary School gift smiles and valentines to senior-living residents

JAMISON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- While residents of The Bridges at Warwick enjoy their senior-living, the fifth grade students down the road are making big plans to brighten their days.

Jared Hottenstein and his team at Jamison Elementary School make it a priority to put their lessons on compassion into practice outside of the classroom.

"If you were to ask me why I went into teaching, it was to impact the lives of kids. After experiencing what fifth graders can do with those residents, I would say it's getting kids to realize they can impact the lives of others in their community," said Hottenstein.

The program persisted through pandemic restrictions, where they previously could only visit residents through the barriers of windows.

Now, they bring big smiles to residents entirely in-person with face to face interaction.

"It's unbelievable. There are a lot of residents here who don't have family members and we have a lot of students that don't have grandparents. The relationship that they're building is something that can't be replaced," said fifth grade teacher, Jenny Fahy.

The students, residents, and teachers involved all look forward to the experience.

For more information on Jamison Elementary School, check out their website.