From clubhouse promenades to a wine and cheese singalong, Ardenwood residents enjoyed a class reunion-style event each week during September.
Based on the year they arrived at Ardenwoods, residents were grouped into one of five “classes”. These classes were assigned animal icons representative of animals found on the Ardenwoods campus: deer, bear, koi fish, birds, and skinks.
After class rosters were revealed in early September, residents were given a name tag that included their class roll, color, and associated animal to help them enjoy the month’s festivities.
September’s class reunion events incorporated the month’s motto Making Memories: Going Forward Together, where once a week, these events created a chance for class members to bond and grow together as a cohesive and fun group.
The first event, Class Reunion Fun Friday, involved classes rotating through stations —including a spritzer bar, Pictionary on the patio, putting on the putting green, and class photos, which now hang in the clubhouse along with each class’s motto and song. At these stations, residents were prompted with questions such as sharing a funny memory from move in day or a favorite calendar activity from their time in the Ardenwoods “class”.
“It was a great opportunity for connection with the other classes,” said Dick Jedwill of Purple Class.
As part of the celebration, Ardenwoods hosted a class reunion promenade. On the afternoon of September 13, classes strolled around the clubhouse with their class banners and balloons, dressed in their class colors. As the parade snaked around the Ardenwoods campus, members of each class followed sidewalk chalk instructions about what to do when they reached certain spots on the parade route. For instance, class purple whirled while class blue stomped.
Ardenwoods staff organized a special dinner for the third week of the class reunion series. The dining room was decorated with colored tables for each class where residents could sit and reminisce on the month’s activities, and pictures from the past week’s events were displayed as residents entered the dining hall.
For the final evening of the reunion series, a class reunion mingle was held. Based on Ardenwoods’ usual wine and cheese event. There was also a singalong where “class songs” such as Margaritaville, You Are My Sunshine, Edelweiss, Blue Skies and Getting to Know You were played as an alma mater-type salute. Class members sang and grooved to these handpicked tunes.
“Class Reunion month was memorable; a great time catching up with residents that came in about the same time we did,” said Paul Robinson of Blue Class.