This past December, Haldane Middle School’s student council brought holiday cheer to local senior citizens.
On December 10, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the student council visited the Senior Friendship Center to play bingo and share some holiday spirit. The idea was proposed by Student Council Advisor Tom Virgadamo, who wanted to do more activities in the community, and the project was spearheaded by eighth grader and Student Council President Parker Fyfe. The Middle School Student Council consists of 13 engaged students. They all traveled to Butterfield Road with prizes, donated by businesses in and around Cold Spring, and high spirits. Virgadamo said, “the seniors were grateful for the prizes generously donated by local establishments.”
Once they arrived at the Friendship Center, students started handing out notes, handwritten by Middle School students. Earlier in the month, the student council met in Virgadamo’s classroom to write letters to the seniors. While most students were members of the student council, there were others there simply to offer their time and write sweet letters. Eighth graders Parker Fyfe, Eleanor Pearson, and Sena Kester, seventh grader Luna Stracci, and sixth graders Esme Lee and Eve Penski all attended. The group took turns using the bingo setup provided by the Friendship Center. Some students shared that, originally, they felt anxious talking to new people, especially people whom many students thought would have nothing in common with them. Fyfe said, “I was really nervous, especially since they lived in the area for so long.”
After students got comfortable, they began to foster connections with some folks, and bingo boards were handed out. Fyfe and Pearson stood at the front of the room, and Pearson went over the rules as everyone received their bingo boards. As people played bingo, the room filled with laughter and discussion. Donuts, pretzels, coffee, tea, cookies, and hot cocoa were provided by the Friendship Center.
The experience helped students learn more about the older generation, as well as practice social skills. “I found that the older generations love helping the community as much as the young,” said Fyfe. Stracci shared similar sentiments, stating, “I learned that there’s lots of history within the senior citizen home and that it makes the senior citizens really happy!”
