By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
December 11, 2003

Students from the Catholic Schools of Sioux City brought Christmas cheer and spirit to residents of the Holy Spirit Retirement Home on Dec. 3.

Fourth grade students from Holy Cross-Blessed Sacrament Center and a senior English class from Bishop Heelan High School ventured to Holy Spirit to decorate the residents' doors for Christmas.

"I really think it is a win-win situation," said Pat Sitzman. "Our kids get an idea of the elderly being grandmas and grandpas and very caring, and they like to see the young kids come up. Both sides get to benefit from that relationship. So it's the perfect day for both groups."

Beth Karpuk, one of the fourth grade teachers, and Sitzman, the senior English teacher, are sisters and decided to get this service event started. The other fourth grade teacher is Diane Ralston.

"It's a service project that takes Christmas, the season of doing service, and combining it with the people who might not be able to get out and do these things for themselves," said Karpuk. "It is something we can do for them. Most of them are just standing right beside us. They watch and have all their comments. It's just fun. What's fun is when people from the past, like the last couple of years, remember us."

This trip has become an annual event for the two schools with the exception of last year due to timing constraints. This is the fourth year that the schools have joined together to decorate.

"I told the kids that they really had to behave well, that the younger kids would be looking up to them," said Sitzman. "They are trying to be role models, trying to show the little kids that it's really neat to do things for other people. They get the sense of pride that we're doing something and we're helping little kids learn what it's like to be Christian. It's a learning process for both. My students could be parents within two or three years, and just learning how to relate to younger kids, seeing them as real people, not just brothers and sisters and pests."

The fourth graders brought the tape, ribbons and bows. The seniors brought the paper and the treats that were shared after the decorating was over. The fourth graders and seniors purchase all of the decorations. The punch for the event was provided by the retirement home.

"When we got on the bus and the seniors got on the bus, all the excitement just went through our little kids," said Karpuk. "It is just neat to see the interaction and the patience the older kids have. The awe that is in the little ones faces. The positive role models. They see all other kinds of role models, but to see a role model of someone doing service and doing it proudly, you can't teach that in a classroom. You have to let them watch that."

Each senior was grouped with a few of the fourth graders to collaborate on creating a design for a resident's door. The groups decorated about two or three doors each.

"I feel really good because it is something that you can do and say, 'I decorated the doors,'" said Erin Puetz, a fourth grader. She also added that if the older students were not helping it would be a lot harder for them to decorate.

One senior, Stephen Kuehl, commented that it was fun to be with the younger kids. He had spent time at Holy Spirit with another organization from Heelan and noted that the younger students "liven things up."

"I feel happy because they don't get to see their family often," said Natalie Vondrak, about being able to do something for the elderly. "I am really glad to decorate their doors because sometimes there isn't anyone else to do it."

The students were not the only ones who enjoyed the hour they spent at the retirement home. The residents were on hand to give suggestions and encouraging comments to the students decorating their doors. The residents either sat in their rooms or in the hallway to observe the young people and interact with them.

"They absolutely love it," said Sitzman of the reaction of the elderly to the day. "You should see their faces. They just stand in the doorway and ooh and aah. It's just like watching a child. They really enjoy it."