As the heavy blue door creaks open, heads turn in anticipation and a student welcomes their elderly relative into the typical day of a teenager.

The 13th annual Grandparents brought grandparents and their kindergarten through high school grandchildren together from 9 A.M. until noon on Sept. 10.

“The greatest purpose of grandparents day is to honor our grandparents before the Lord,” Superintendent Tim Wilkins said. “They fly in from all over the country, arranging their schedules to be here for this important day.”

Grandparents Day has been a national holiday ever since President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation in 1978, naming the first Sunday after Labor Day National Grandparents Day.

“I love spending time with my grandparents when they come visit school,” Sarah Bonnar, ’07, said. “My grandparents always take me out to lunch.”

Many students take this time to bond with grandparents in hopes of gaining new insight to life.

“This special event allows a chance for me to reunite [with my grandparents],” Kevin Reed, ’05, said. “It gives me time to show my grandparents around the school.”

Once the grandparents met for a briefing near Ground Zero, they were sent out across the campus to look for their grand kids’ classrooms.

“”I love coming to see Aliza,”” Juanita Ford, grandparent of Aliza Ford, ’07, said. “”I enjoy observing the activities of the young people.””

The day provides many memorable opportunities, but some students are unable to share the experience.

“I wish my grandma could come,” Kevin Gibes, ’05, said. “It would be awesome, but she lives in Colorado and I’ve never really had a chance to get to know her.”

Many grandparents look forward to this special occasion to see their grandchildren.

“I have two grandchildren at this school,” Pat Park, grandparent of Jeremy Ramos, ’07, said. “I enjoy visiting the classrooms, meeting the teachers and seeing the progress of my grandchildren.”

Grandparents Day also includes a lunch at no cost for each grandparent and child. The lunch consists of macaroni, beef, salad, French bread and a desert along with bottled water.

“”Today we enjoyed being with our grandchildren,”” Jack and Dale Kaiser, grandparents of Andrew Kaiser, ’05, said. “”This is our fourth time attending Grandparents Day and the new hot lunch was very appetizing.””

For more information, contact the high school office at (559) 299-1695 ext. 5, or go to www.fresnochristian.com. To find out more about how others celebrate Grandparents Day, go to www.grandparents-day.com.