BERNARDSTON — The ROMEOs and Bernardston Elementary School kindergartners shared the spotlight at the Senior Center Thursday morning as part of a holiday sing-along.
While the ROMEOs, a local music group comprised of several musicians between the ages of 50 and 90, play at the Senior Center every Thursday, this week’s addition of kindergartners was special. The students come to the center each year ahead of Christmas to sing and share gifts they made in school with the seniors.
“This is the most fun type of event,” Senior Center Director Hayley Bolton said. “You can see everyone enjoying themselves.”
The group opened with holiday favorites like “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman,” mixing in a few songs that had been prepared by the kindergartners, led by Bernardston Elementary School kindergarten teacher Renee Keir.
Students performed their songs both by singing and using American Sign Language. One song, or cheer, helps enforce the reading and alphabet skills the children learn in class, Keir said.
“A, B, C, D, E, kindergarten is the place to be,” the children cheered. “F, G, H, I, J, we will work and we will play. K, L, M, N, O, we will work and we will grow. P, Q, R, S, T, I’ll help you and you’ll help me. U, V, W, X, Y, be a friend and just say hi. Z, Z, Z, Z, Z, Bernardston Elementary is the place to be.”
Keir pointed out the cheer could be adopted by the seniors, to which one student exclaimed, “the Bernardston Senior Center is the place to be!”
After the sing-along, each student shared a small gift and card they made for the Senior Center members.
“This is my favorite trip of the year,” Keir said. “Building connections in the community is what it’s all about.”
The annual get-together with the students is always much-anticipated, Bolton said. She and several other Senior Center employees prepared a chili lunch for the seniors, and the students mingled with them while enjoying their own brown-bag lunches, complete with peanut butter sandwiches and goldfish.
“Having this intergenerational link is really important,” Bolton said of the event.
Since coming to work at the Senior Center over six months ago, Bolton said she has been “blown away” with the collaborative efforts of the community. The Senior Center often partners with various town entities to organize events.
“It’s the kind of small town feeling you want,” she said.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 264.