The cafeteria is certainly a rosy sight. It is adorned with red, white, and pink streamers, cupids shooting arrows and hearts galore. Balloons form huge pink and red hearts on the walls. A large table is covered with delicious treats, from cookies, pies, brownies, and cupcakes, to finger sandwiches, salad, tea, and coffee. The tables are layered with pink, hearted table cloths and toped with blue vases holding yellow tulips. The Monmouth Academy band is getting warmed up on the stage dressed in their best while two dozen senior students rush around putting on the finishing touches. Finally white haired senior citizens start shuffling through the door. They are handed valentines crafted by the small hands of two to eight year olds. The greater gives them a big smile and says “Welcome to the Senior to Senior Tea!”
It all started as a lesson in Ms. Gail Sisto’s senior psychology class. She was appalled by the stereotypes of senior citizens that the world has, so she took it into her old hands. Our class was thrilled with the idea of doing something new. So we started planing a Valentines Day tea for seniors, from seniors. We put up fliers, announcements in newspapers, and told everyone. But the week before the date of the tea, we had still no RSVP’s. Starting to get worried we copied hundreds of more fliers to hand out to students, churches, and friends. We went home to invite our grandparents and other grand-friends. We phoned school board members and school alumni. By Monday the class was thrilled to have 15 confirmed people coming. Throughout the week classmates went out to buy decorations and planed what treats they would bring. The result of our effort was noticeable on Thursday afternoon.
When the band started playing and the food was served, the talking started. Stories of old school times and new future dreams were shared from senior to senior. Laughter soon filled the air. There were teachers, present and old, grandparents, school alumni, and town members. Students stopped in who weren’t even involved in the class. Small bears and other prizes were handed out to raffle winners and the tulips soon became souvenirs. Everyone involved in the event took home something, for most of the students it was the memories. It has now been decided to be an annual event, an afternoon of laughing, sharing memories and making new ones, from senior to senior and heart to heart.
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