GRANDPARENTS HONORED BY ST. DENIS

BENTON -- Louis and Anna Glastetter of Benton have been going to the Grandparents' Day celebration at St. Denis Catholic School for at least eight years.

This year they won a prize for having the most grandchildren enrolled at the school.

Seven of their grandchildren attend St. Denis. Three others attend classes at Thomas W. Kelly School.

The Grandparents' Day celebration began at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday with a prayer service and entertainment before concluding with refreshments.

About 100 grandparents and 85 students attended the activities, which included a bingo game.

Last week the students sent invitations to either their grandparents or other senior citizens, said Principal Deborah McCann.

Many of the grandparents live in the area but some are able to attend because Grandparents' Day is so close to the Thanksgiving holiday, she said.

Megan LeGrand, 8, was able to spend the afternoon with her grandparents Judy and Vernon Scherer of rural Scott City.

"I look forward to it every year," Judy Scherer said, adding that she has been coming for the last three years. "This year we got Megan all to ourselves because her other grandma is out of town."

After the prayer service, the grandparents were serenaded by each class of students, who learned a new song for the occasion.

Each student also was asked to bring a wrapped gift as a bingo prize, McCann.

As the grandparents called Bingo, seventh- and eighth-grade students handed out the prizes, which ranged from barbecue sauce to potholders.

Grandparents' Day began about 15 years ago and has been a tradition at the school ever since. It is always held the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving holiday.

"We couldn't have Thanksgiving without it," said Pat Moore, a part-time teacher at the school. "It honors the grandparents."