By Robert Doherty
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

It started in 2002, when some seventh grade students from the Brookwood School in Manchester-by-the-Sea formed a friendship with several people who live at Brooksby Village. Four years later, the tradition continued with 56 seventh graders visiting their friends at Brooksby.

“Our relationship with the Brookwood School is wonderful,” says Fran Gerrior, community resources coordinator for Brooksby. “People from Brooksby meet with the students from Brookwood three times a year and everyone who lives here always looks forward to it. The students are wonderful.”

The new “buddies” share stories, show pictures of their families, work on projects— basically the same things all friends do. They keep in touch between visits via letter writing and there is even talk of expanding this program to other areas, like organizing a Brooksby-Brookwood bell ringing concert.