OxfordPress.com

HAMILTON — Hamilton resident Bill Brantingham gave students at the Hamilton Freshman School an A+ for their efforts on Thursday, Nov. 13.

Members of the Student Senate served breakfast to about 60 senior adults from Berkeley Square while other students provided musical entertainment.

Brantingham, who came for the food and the friendship, said the students — "a wonderful bunch" — provided a great atmosphere.

"They were well prepared and that certainly speaks well of the school staff," he said.

A big focus for the Hamilton City School District is character education, which includes doing service for the community, said Principal Greg Rulon.

"We are teaching the students not just to think about themselves but the community around them ... that's what makes the world a good place," he said.

The breakfast, Rulon said, gave students an opportunity to connect with senior adults.

"When students feel a connection to the seniors I think it is something that stays with them throughout their life."

Serving their Berkeley guests was especially poignant for 14-year-old Andy Judd, who attended preschool at Berkeley.

"We sang songs for them and now we are serving breakfast," Judd said. "I think you need to get involved and you need to care about other people. This is a good experience ... you can learn a lot from them."

Classmate Kaitlin Hubbard said the breakfast was a lot of fun "and it helped me connect with them."

She did what she considered a small favor for one of the guests who "hugged me and told me I was wonderful. It made it seem so worth it," she said. "It started out that we were doing something for them but in the end they gave us so much more."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2158 or lebbing@coxohio.com.