HAMPDEN – The bright smiles and polished manners of fifth-graders greeted approximately 94 senior citizens who attended the luncheon and music concert at Weatherbee School in Hampden on May 3.

Jake Maltz, Kyle Clifford, Garrett Allen and James Gilmore wore dress-up pants. Chareeda Rustanavibul, Dana Hsiao, Samantha Bowler, Morgan Sibley and Allison Russell wore brightly colored skirts that rippled in the breeze. They took the job as greeters very seriously.

“Our principal, Regan Nickels, taught us how to be greeters, how to make eye contact and be polite,” said Garrett. “May I escort you to the library?”

Garrett said he and the other greeters were chosen for the honor because of their “good behavior.” Garrett and Allison also had the honor of serving as Nickels’ personal assistants.

In addition to greeting the guests, the fifth-grade pupils had the task of setting the tables, serving the turkey and gravy lunch and cleaning up.

Inside the school’s gymnasium, tables had been set with colorful place mats decorated by fourth-graders.

Their theme was “Spring Blooms” and their drawings were rich with bright flowers, birds and rainbows. Tables also were enhanced by pots of purple or yellow pansies.

Pupil Alex Charette had two grandparents attend the event. His grampa on his mother’s side of the family, Ralph Braley, drove from Scituate, Mass., and his memere on his dad’s side of the family, Patricia Charette, came down from Van Buren.

Braley had attended the event several times before. “I enjoy it,” he said. “Everyone is happy.”

“It’s a great idea,” Charette said. It was the first time she had attended the luncheon and concert.

No one is quite certain of the exact year the event began, but school secretary Martha MacLeod said it was before 1997. In 1998, 60 senior citizens attended and last year, 120 came for lunch.

“Many attend as a matter of tradition,” said Nickels. “Some had children who attended the school [many years ago] and now have grandchildren at the school.” The event, she said, is good for the pupils and helps build social skills and self-confidence.

“I’m so impressed,” said Nancy Parker of Winterport as she ate lunch. “The food is wonderful and the music is always great.” She has a granddaughter in third grade and another in fifth grade at the school.

At the end of the meal, third-graders filed into the gymnasium bearing handmade greeting cards decorated with tissue paper flowers to give to the diners.

After the meal, the third-graders – 100 of them – gave a 30-minute concert, singing under the direction of music teacher David Mallek.

“They have been preparing for months,” Mallek said. They also will perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10, at the Weatherbee School gymnasium.

Each one of the school’s 309 pupils was involved in the event in one way or another, Nickels said.

Nickels credited Chris Greenier and the kitchen staff, school custodians Mike Worster and Chris Charuk, guidance counselor Mary McLean and school secretary Martha MacLeod and the Weatherbee teachers for their help in organizing and implementing the event.

“From them I had nothing but willingness,” she said.