Hoping to share some holiday cheer with some of the town’s senior citizens, members of the National Honor Society gathered with armfuls of baked goods and wrapped gifts in the Elms senior building meeting room last month.
In a gesture of friendship, the students spent the evening with elderly residents, reveling in their spirit of the season. With tables decorated in red and green and loaded with plates of cookies, cakes and brownies, students and seniors feasted on holiday favorites and sipped glasses of punch and soda.
Adding to the festivities was a special Christmas videotape, a musical Christmas card performed by Nashville entertainer Randy Moore, performing at the world-famous Opryland Hotel. Last Spring, Secaucus students had helped raised funds for a special needs school in Nashville, engendering a strong relationship between Secaucus and the Nashville-based entertainer.
The tape was made with classic Christmas tunes like “White Christmas” and songs such as “God Bless the USA” and “A Mother’s Prayer” dedicated especially for the veterans and mothers in the audience.
Inspired by the video, the students sang their own renditions of popular carols such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Silent Night,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and several others. Christie Pirro, Gina Sallustio, Andrea Gerbasio, and Anh-Thu Ngo also presented “Carol of the Bells” a cappella. Then Michelle Primavera, dressed as an elf, brought out individual packages of ornaments and decorations as presents. There were also separate grab-bag gifts of candle sets, picture frames, candy, etc. for several lucky prizewinners. Both the senior citizens and students had a great time.
The officers of the National Honor Society are: President, Anh Thu Ngo, Vice President Roland Tsao, Secretary Christie Pirro, Treasurer Kaushik Patel, Parliamentarian Olga Kravchuk, and Historian Gina Sallustio. The advisor is Virginia Foley.