Quality lunch time with grandparents

Barbara Scharnell and Doran Kough graduated from Newport Harbor High School back in 1953, but found themselves back on campus Tuesday for the school’s fourth annual Grandparents’ Day, which pairs students and their grandparents for a luncheon.

“I think it’s nice that the high school has a day like this,” Kough said; she enjoys returning to the campus each year to view the construction and modernization efforts, although she still misses the old bell tower. The pair came to watch its demolition in 2007.

Kough and Scharnell joined about 100 of their peers to have lunch with their grandchildren, then went to a presentation to learn about the many programs the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation provides — and enjoy dessert prepared by the school’s culinary arts students.

“There were a lot more grandparents this year than we expected,” said Diana Long, the foundation’s president.

Out of 250 sandwiches prepared by Turnip Rose, less than a handful remained after they were given out.

Sophomore Beth Barnard, 15, hosted three grandparents at her table.

“I always enjoy spending time with them,” she said. “It was really fun.”

“We talk about how school’s going, and I get to hear about family I don’t get to see very often,” said junior Gabe Gomez, 17.

For organizers, the most difficult part about the event is getting the word out to the grandparents, Long said.

Students and their parents have to submit the grandparents’ mailing addresses to the school.

But the program’s popularity has gained heavy word-of-mouth, so this year grandparents came from as far away as Temecula, Palm Springs and Calabasas to spend the lunch hour with their grandchildren, organizers said.

For the students, it was a chance for one-on-one time with often rarely seen members of the family; for their grandparents, it was a chance to connect with their grandchild on their own turf and in their native environment.

While the families were enjoying lunch together, volunteers walked from table to table taking pictures to send them later.

Some graduating students and their families were sad that this would be their last Grandparents’ Day together; some have taken part every year in the program, which started four years ago.

John Applegate, who chairs the grandparents’ committee, enjoyed lunch with his own family, including his grandson Jeffrey, a senior.

“Everybody would love to have lunch at least once a year with their grandchildren at their school,” Applegate said.

The grandparents also had the opportunity to share with Newport Harbor students that many of the special programs that make the school stand out are courtesy of the foundation they contribute to, he added.

“I think that on their own, the kids probably would never know who paid for all those extras,” Applegate said.

Reporter CANDICE BAKER can be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at [email protected].