This past December, Mahopac Middle School seventh graders in Elizabeth Batista and Colleen Moles’s class took part in a heartfelt holiday service project by creating handmade ornaments for residents of a senior living community in Florida, where teaching assistant Kathy Cuomo’s mother resides.
Throughout the year, the class participates in holiday-themed activities and gift exchanges with the senior living home. For the winter holidays, students crafted ornaments using plastic cups, emphasizing creativity, sustainability and the importance of giving back.
Encouraged by the positive response and impact of the project, the initiative was expanded locally. Team 7C recently partnered with Artis Senior Living, a senior residence located nearby, to recreate the experience for seniors in the Mahopac community. Students were excited to bring joy closer to home for the holidays and to see firsthand how small acts of kindness can make a difference.
“This project provided our seventh graders with an opportunity to practice empathy, kindness and community involvement while building meaningful intergenerational connections,” Cuomo said. “We are incredibly proud of our students.”
Superintendent of Schools Frank Miele praised the initiative and the values it reflects.
“This is a great example of why I love Mahopac so much,” Miele said. “Our students felt a real sense of gratitude in doing something special for others, and that exchange across generations teaches an important life lesson about the power of giving. I am very proud of our students and staff for helping to make our district such a special place.”
The project served as a reminder that kindness, generosity and community connections remain at the heart of the Mahopac school experience.
