Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Thanks to the handiwork of fourth-graders in Mary Graham’s and Loriann Bates’ classes at Zippel Elementary School, several senior citizens in the Star City received a special treat May 1.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
BETSY ROBICHAUD, left, accepts a colorful May basket made by Zippel Elementary School fourth-grader Katelyn Summerson. Fourth-graders delivered the baskets May 1 to residents at the Presque Isle Housing on Birch Street.
For the 19th year, students made May baskets that were hand delivered to the residents at the Presque Isle Housing on Birch Street.
“We made them this morning,” said Graham. “They were freshly made so they wouldn’t get torn or ruined.
“They’re made with tissue paper … it’s an origami-type fold that’s used to make the basket,” she said. “There’s a cross-cut that they do when they unfold it that makes the basket.”
The students walked to the senior housing, and placed candy inside the basket before delivering them to the residents. The 40 May baskets that were given to the seniors last Thursday also included a card from the student.
In addition to making the May baskets, Graham said the students recently learned about the May Day customs.
“We talk about May Day customs because they’re not common in the United States,” she said. “We talk about how important May Day is in Europe and that it’s a huge holiday. We’re following the custom where people would make a basket and fill it with goodies … they would usually do homemade goodies, candy, and flowers, and someone that was very special to them, they would take it and hang it on the door, knock on the door, wait a minute and then run and try to be caught which would mean that they were friends forever.
“The original custom was a gentleman would hang it on the door of a lady friend and if she chased him, then he knew that she returned his feelings and they would exchange a kiss,” said Graham. “We explained that to the kids, but for our purposes, we changed it a little bit.”
Graham said she hoped her students learned a lesson in giving.
“We’re hoping that they will learn that it’s much better to give than to receive,” she said. “We want them to feel that joy of giving something and seeing a smile on somebody’s face. We’ve talked with them that these are senior citizens who are living in apartments and probably don’t have as many visitors as these kids would even have in their homes. Some days get long and lonely, so it’s a chance for them to see a smiling face.”
If a resident wasn’t home when the student knocked, the May basket was left on the doorknob.
Betty Higgins said she was happy to receive a basket.
“It brings back the memories from years and years ago,” said Higgins. “I never learned how to make them, and I always looked forward to getting a May basket.
“I’ll hang it up somewhere,” she said. “It’s very colorful, and I appreciate them stopping by.”
Betsy Robichaud said she, too, never learned how to make one.
“My sister called me from Massachusetts and said, ‘Boy, I wish you’d find out how to make those baskets,’” she said.
“I’ll have to look it up on the computer,” said Higgins.
Robichaud said she enjoyed her brief visit from fourth-grader Katelyn Summerson.
“They seem to get a kick out of it,” said Robichaud, “and that makes me happy.”
“Now I have an excuse to eat the candy,” Higgins said.
Graham said oftentimes the residents send thank-you notes to the students.
“We get notes from some of them thanking the students and saying how wonderful it was to see them,” she said. “When the students see those notes, they feel wonderful. It makes them feel like, ‘We’ve done something really good.’”
“I used navy blue and purple,” said student Cole Staples of his May basket. “I never made one before. It was pretty hard to do, but fun. The resident said thank you and she was happy to get it.”
Alyssa Sweeney made a red and yellow basket.
“I thought those colors looked pretty together,” she said. “The man thanked me and said he’d give it to his wife when she comes back. I thought it was fun. I don’t think they get a lot of visitors, so I thought it was nice for them to get visitors.”
The school’s three other fourth-grade classes also made May baskets but the children elected to take them home.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
SAVANNAH SMITH, a fourth-grader at Zippel Elementary School, leaves a May basket on the doorknob of a resident at the Presque Isle Housing on Birch Street. Forty May baskets, which included a card and some candy, were hand delivered May 1 to the residents. This was the 19th year students made and delivered the colorful baskets.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
DYLAN FULTON, left, presents Betty Higgins, a resident at the Presque Isle Housing on Birch Street, with a handmade May basket. Fourth-grade students in Mary Graham and Loriann Bates’ classes at Zippel Elementary School made the baskets May 1 and handed them out much to the delight of the local senior citizens.
