A new pilot program for seniors to join elementary school students for lunches in the school cafeteria will be put to the test in January.

The organization Volunteer Haines proposed the plan to fulfill its priority of offering seniors a low-cost lunch on Fridays. The Senior Center only provides a midday meal Monday through Thursday.

“We’d like to develop a program where (seniors) are not going through a three-day period of time without having the option of a meal,” said committee member Valery McCandless. “The school seems like a great match for having healthy meals for seniors and an opportunity to mix generations together.”

The Haines school board unanimously said yes to testing the program at its meeting Tuesday. But several board members said there has to be an educational benefit and a real connection between the seniors and students for the program to continue past the first meal.

School staff thought third through fifth graders would be the best age to test this program.

Board member Sarah Swinton liked the idea of a pilot, but said, “The cafeteria is for kids, not for the community of Haines.”

Superintendent Tony Habra said he sees the value in connecting different age groups in the community and would like to see the pilot go through, but added, “We can’t just be a provider of food. It has to be more than that. This is an educational institution.”

Habra also thought the district should be mindful of local restaurant owners who may feel this move could infringe on their right to sell meals on Fridays.

Volunteer Haines committee member Jim Studley countered, saying – in his experience – a majority of seniors won’t eat out on Fridays because it is too expensive.

As far as forming a community connection, he said seniors are an invaluable resource for students to learn what’s not in their textbooks. “This is walking history,” Studley said.

School staff said this could also be a good opportunity for students to develop social skills, especially with people they don’t usually see.

In a letter penned by Volunteer Haines committee member Vince Hansen to principal Rene Martin, Volunteer Haines is willing to cover the cost of the meals prepared by school staff, transport the seniors to and from the school and help set up tables or chairs in the cafeteria.

There’s no clear idea how many seniors will want to participate. Studley said he’s seen up to 50 at the Senior Center for lunch.

Although no plans for how to structure the lunch and facilitate conversation between the groups were set in stone at Tuesday’s meeting, Martin and curriculum coordinator Cheryl Stickler shared ideas for the pilot.

Conversation prompts could be left on the tables for seniors and students to read, and students could help carry the seniors’ lunch trays. Stickler said it may be best to choose a few students who are most proficient in holding a conversation to set an example for other students.

The pilot is set for Jan. 13.

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