Clements-Parsons students bring holiday cheer to nursing home
Fri, 2016-01-01 05:00
News Staff
By SHEILA WRIGHT
Sixty-five Clements-Parsons Elementary students wearing reindeer antlers and big smiles spread holiday cheer with songs of the season and presented Christmas stockings filled with goodies when they visited the residents of the Hill Country Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Copperas Cove.
The group of students was a combination of Clements-Parsons’ Honor Choir and third, fourth, and fifth graders from CPE’s Kids Care Club.
Keri Schurtz and Faustino SanchezI, music teachers at Clements-Parsons, led the singing of several traditional Christmas songs including Frosty The Snowman which was an audience favorite. The residents clapped and joined in on their favorite songs. Many of the staff members at Hill Country also came in to sing along and enjoy the beautiful music from the students including fifth grader Alexis Shankel.
“I love singing and sharing these holiday songs with everyone,” she said. “It makes me smile too.”
After the students sang Feliz Navidad, another favorite among many residents, the students happily passed out stockings to those in the dining facility and to some residents in their rooms. Nursing home resident Dorothy “Dottie” Malone had tears in her eyes.
“This makes me so happy,” the 93 year old said, smiling from ear to ear.
The colorful red and white stockings were filled with many items to include snacks, games, cards, and toiletries donated by the students including third grader Travis Seidel.
“I know many of these people because my family visits here every Sunday,” he said. “I’m so happy to sing for them and give them a stocking filled with gifts.”
The families and staff of CPE donated so many items that the school was able to donate five large boxes of items to the Military Care Package program sponsored by the Copperas Cove High School DECA program.
The honor choir students said they were happy to share their love of music with the community and they have also been busy performing concerts at the school this year. The Kids Care Club is busy planning its next outreach program for January.