It was a special day at HammondCare Waratah as residents, team members, and family celebrated Mrs Pauline Potts' 105th birthday. However, the highlight of the party was the special guests: the kindergarten children from Waratah Public School.
Mrs Potts has a special bond with children, having grandchildren and great-grandchildren of her own. She loves having little ones around, and as part of HammondCare’s intergenerational program, the Waratah Public School children have become regular visitors. Last time, they worked on puzzles together, but today was different. It was Mrs Potts’ birthday!
The children came with presents, a special birthday card, and played party games of musical statues and pin the tail on the donkey. It was a real celebration.
At 105, Mrs Potts is still the life of the party, just ask her daughter Gail Curby, who held a birthday celebration for her mother at her home over the weekend.
"We had a family party for Mum on the weekend. There would have been more than 20 people who came from across the state. Mum had such a lovely day chatting with her family about the past and sharing memories.
“Mum taught us to have the best manners. She’s always been the most polite hostess. And we had a lovely high tea, something that I knew mum would really enjoy."
Mrs. Potts is the oldest resident in the HammondCare Hunter area services and one of the Hunter's oldest residents. Born in 1918 in Sydney's Inner West, she left school early and took a job with AGL as a secretary.
Mrs Potts lost her husband at a young age but even as a single mother, her dream was to finish her education, which she did, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the age of 66. She would have loved to be a schoolteacher but remained active in the community and involved with her four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Waratah Residential Manager Khardene Kilmartin said she and the Waratah team feel privileged to support Mrs Potts, who came to live at Waratah in August 2020.
"Pauline had such a lovely day with a beautiful cake and flowers. But I think the birthday cards from King Charles and Anthony Albanese topped the day.” Khardene said. "We are so thrilled that such a special lady had a wonderful day."
The intergenerational program at HammondCare brings joy to the residents and children alike. It's an opportunity for the generations to connect and learn from each other. And for residents like Mrs Potts, it's a reminder that age is just a number, and there's always something to learn from the younger generations.
Of course, this couldn’t have been a birthday celebration without everyone singing Happy Birthday. And the departing party bags were a hit with the children and adults alike. But the real gift was the smiles on everyone’s faces.
Happy 105th Birthday, Mrs. Potts!