Atlanta centenarian visits Decatur kindergarten class as students mark the school year’s 100th day milestone

A family tie turns a classroom tradition into a living local-history lesson

A Decatur kindergarten class marked the 100th day of the school year on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, with an unexpected guest: a 100-year-old Atlantian who is the great-grandfather of one of the students. The visit took place at Saint Thomas More School, where the 100th day is treated as a midyear milestone and a chance for students to practice counting, grouping, and other early numeracy skills through themed activities.

In many kindergarten classrooms, the day is commonly observed by asking students to bring 100 items for show-and-tell. In this class, kindergartener K.J. Schmansky instead brought her great-grandfather, Sonny Ragan, making the number 100 tangible in a way few classroom props can.

From Grant Park in 1925 to a 2026 classroom

Ragan told students he was born on October 8, 1925, in Atlanta’s Grant Park area. He has lived in Atlanta for nearly his entire life, aside from three years of service in the U.S. Navy. During the visit, students asked him about everyday life in earlier decades, including transportation and shopping—questions that helped anchor broad historical change in concrete details appropriate for young children.

How the 100th day of school is used in early grades

The 100th day is widely used in elementary education as a structured opportunity for hands-on learning. The approach often blends classroom celebration with skill-building:

• Counting and organizing items into groups of 10 to reach 100.
• Basic measurement, comparison, and estimation activities tied to the number 100.
• Speaking and listening practice through show-and-tell and classroom Q&A.

At Saint Thomas More School, the milestone also served as a theme for imaginative play. Students dressed as centenarians, reinforcing the concept that 100 represents a long span of time—while creating an atmosphere that made it easier for young learners to participate.

A cross-generational moment centered on faith and family

Ragan described faith and family as central to his long life. In remarks shared during the classroom visit, he spoke directly about his relationship with his great-granddaughter and said he hopes to live to 105.

“It’s been a big, big change for somebody who’s 100 years old,” Ragan told the class, reflecting on how Atlanta and daily life have evolved over his lifetime.

For students, the visit created a rare opportunity to meet someone born a century earlier and to connect a school tradition to Atlanta’s living memory—through one family’s link across four generations.