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Students, residents relish time together
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Times photo: Brian Gray Parkside Elementary School students Josie Eberle and Mia Wahl, both 11, play the game Trouble with Girt Koehn on Wednesday at Angelus Retirement Community in Monroe. About 60 Parkside students visited the residents to play games and talk.
MONROE - It was hard to tell who had more fun Wednesday when fifth-graders from Parkside Elementary School visited residents at Angelus Retirement Community of Monroe.

About 60 students visited the residents to play games and have a little fun.

Fifth-grade teachers Lynda Miller, Ashley Kittoe and Leigh Lierman said they hoped the students could visit a few more times before the end of the school year. This was the second time this school year the students visited Angelus residents. In October, the students brought pumpkins to carve.

"This is good for both the kids and the residents," Lierman said. "The kids really looked forward to it."

So did the residents.

"It's nice," resident Girt Koehn said with a smile as she played a game with three students.

The students brought games and word searches, but the most important thing they brought was themselves.

"They love to have the kids come," Angelus activities director Amanda Gerber said. "It gives them a chance to talk with the kids."

Over games of "Sorry," "Trouble" and checkers, the residents and students laughed and talked to each other about anything that came to mind. The laughter could be heard throughout the first floor of the building.

It was a chance for the residents and the students to get to know each other.

"They couldn't wait to come," Miller said of her students.

Gerber said the residents look forward to the visits, as well. It's a special event in their day and they love to have company.

"It's a great opportunity to connect with other people," Emma Peterson, 11, said.