October 11, 2022
LANCASTER, Texas -- We’ve all heard of the unofficial senior skip day in high school. It’s something that 12th grade students may try to plan out, and it is a day frowned upon by high school principals. However, in Lancaster ISD, Senior Skip Day has taken on a new meaning to promote positivity and community engagement.
Through a partnership with the City of Lancaster Senior Life Center, Lancaster ISD has launched the Silver Tiger Tour Series. These tours allow the members of the Senior Life Center’s Senior Senate Committee to skip a day of meeting at the life center and tour a Lancaster ISD campus. Members of the senate can read to students and gather information about volunteering on different campuses when needed.
Lancaster ISD Chief of Communications Kimberly Simpson says the tour series will help strengthen community ties.
“As we continue to work to strengthen our community engagement throughout the City of Lancaster, it is important to engage all community members. Specifically, our Silver Tiger Tour series is an intentional effort to establish relationships with a group of people who may not have children in our district but value the importance of education in our community. This is a way for us to make connections and build advocates for Lancaster ISD,” Simpson said.
The inaugural Senior Skip Day took place at Belt Line Elementary with ten senior senate members in attendance. During the visit, the seniors spent time getting to know some of the students and staff. They toured classrooms and spent time reading to students.
Senior Senate Committee Member Cass Butler read Pumpkin Pumpkin to a Pre-K 4 class and says the experience warmed her heart.
“Books are my passion,” said Butler. “I love reading and sharing my love of reading with the kids. Seeing their enthusiasm and excitement for the story was the highlight of my day. I could tell they love to learn.”
The group also had the opportunity to connect with the Belt Line Elementary National Elementary Honor Society members for a discussion and mentorship session. The two generations shared stories and created a bond they’ll continue to treasure.
“I love seeing firsthand how the younger generation is learning,” said Sedric Butler, Senior Senate Committee member. “It’s amazing to see all the positive things happening inside the schools. Everybody's doing great work, and the teachers are doing an excellent job.”
The campus administrators also looked forward to the day and understand the importance of making community connections.
“It is important to build and nurture community partnerships because there is so much value in the community,” said Ashlee Kimbrough, Counselor at Belt Line Elementary. “We look for volunteers to mentor our students and even those who can be substitute teachers. The Lancaster community is full of different backgrounds and experiences. The partnerships allow students to interact with others in the community outside of teachers and family members.”
Lancaster ISD will continue the Silver Tiger Tour with a visit to a Lancaster ISD secondary campus.
For questions about the Silver Tiger Tour series, please email info@lancasterisd.org.
