“Bravo! Bravo!” said the smiling older gentleman, as he stood and clapped for the assembled students as they finished each song. The students – approximately 45 middle schoolers from Mount Madonna School (MMS) – visited the Senior Center in Morgan Hill on December 1, to spread a little cheer and sing some well-known holiday carols. The aforementioned gentleman, an appreciative Morgan Hill resident, was clearly moved by the sweet voices of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade performers and their teachers. Following that concert, the student choir went to the nearby Hillview Convalescent Hospital and performed a second concert for patients.
“It was heartwarming to see middle schoolers singing so proudly and so enthusiastically to the seniors,” comments Denise Melroy, Program Coordinator for Morgan Hill’s Centennial Recreation Senior Center. “Many children consider it a chore to sing and don’t really sing with emotion, and I cannot say that about the Mount Madonna students! It was also very special to see many of the seniors singing along to most of the songs, if they knew them. To have multiple generations in one room, enjoying each others’ company, was a very uplifting experience and one we always want to repeat!”
“It was very rewarding to see how touched the audiences at both locations were by the students’ performance,” says MMS Middle & High Music Teacher Leah Parker. “At Hillview, some of the patients came and stood in the doorways of their rooms smiling as we sang and passed through the halls.”
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Contact: Leigh Ann Clifton, Marketing & Communications
Nestled among the redwoods on 355 mountaintop acres, Mount Madonna is a safe and nurturing college-preparatory school that supports students in becoming caring, self-aware and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared to meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville.