“I thought the kids could do the same as I used to,” she said.
Over the past few weeks, her Year 5 class has been implementing her vision.
Firstly, they went to the care home to interview the elderly residents, learning about their lives and interests.
“When we walked in the home, the residents all lit up, all smiling. They just love being around children,” Weigert said, adding: “It’s also so nice for the residents to be focused on and have their own identity.”
Subsequently, using photos they had taken, the class painted the residents in their art lessons, embellishing the portraits with images which represented their personal stories.
And the JC visited as the class walked down to the care home last week to present the residents with their portraits.
Some of the children showing their portraits to the residents in Signature Care Home[Missing Credit]
One resident, Peter Summerfield, was painted by two of the children, Thea and Imad.
Summerfield, 92, is a Holocaust survivor. He reached the UK from Berlin via the Kindertransport four days before the outbreak of the Second World War, at the age of six.
“I came here with my twin brother and parents with just the clothes we were standing in – no money, no one expecting us,” he said.
World Jewish Relief came to the family’s aid, taking them to a hotel and helping them with their basic needs for the first year or two.
Summerfield went on to study law at Oxford University and then serve in the British army in Egypt for two years, receiving a general service medal. He also qualified as a solicitor and practised international commercial law for the German, Swiss, and Canadian governments.
He and his wife, Marianne, have also spent many years delivering talks about their experiences with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Both have received British Empire Medals for their services to education.
Thea, one of the students who painted Summerfield, said she appreciated learning about Summerfield’s past.
“It was really nice because he has so much in his life behind him,” she said. “You look at people and think they’re just ordinary, but old people have much they’ve been through in their lives.”
Peter Summerfield holding the portrait which Thea painted of him[Missing Credit]
Weigert concurred, saying: “Children don’t always realise how colourful the lives of old people are.”
“I think that our society is just so separate; people are hidden away in their separate places. And I found it quite beautiful how people who would never in a million years otherwise have met, were talking and having such a nice time together. The kids went back to school and wouldn’t stop talking about it.”
As well as her desire to bond with the wider community, Weigert is also aiming to achieve an Artsmark award for the school, which is accredited by the Arts Council England to schools with an exceptional commitment to creativity.
“It motivates me because you have to challenge yourself to do more experimental and community-oriented projects,” she said.
She is now coordinating with the Nepalese community in Burnt Oak and the Arts Depot in North Finchley to potentially do similar projects with different year groups.
“I really think that the art is such a big thing for kids,” she said, “and I’m glad it’s taken really seriously in this school.”
