Senior Citizens Enjoy Tea and Spring Musical at West Essex

More than 150 senior citizens from throughout the West Essex area enjoyed scenes from the West Essex Masquers’ production of Disney’s “High School Musical: ON STAGE,” and later tea and homemade treats baked by the high school’s culinary students at the annual event on March 21.

Each March, West Essex invites area senior citizens to come to for an afternoon of entertainment and refreshments—a showcase of the talents of the school district’s performing arts and culinary students. First, the cast and crew of the spring musical performed a shortened dress rehearsal of the show before its regularly scheduled run March 22-24.

“There is a lot of talent here,” said Joe Emmanuelle of West Caldwell after the performance. “Everything is very good.”

“It was a very good day,” said Tom Calandra as he finished some cookies with his sister Mary Calandra, both from Caldwell.

“What a lovely job they did,” said Pamela Hagerty of Caldwell, a former Schools Supervisor of Business and Career Technical Educator for Belleville Public Schools. “I thought I was at a Broadway play!”

Students in the Culinary 1 classes taught by Caren Maw, Jill Schneck and Judy Crawford baked more than 2,000 treats for the seniors including snicker doodles cheesecake cupcakes, carrot cake cupcakes, fudge crinkles and lemon bars. Seniors lined up around the cafeteria, filling their plates and then sat down at tables as the students served them tea, coffee, water and fruit punch. Students tried to keep up, refilling the serving dishes with treats. Almost everything was eaten.

Following a welcome by Laura Drago, Instructional Supervisor for Fine, Practical Arts, Business Technology and Social Studies, the seniors also enjoyed a performance by the West Essex Sax Quartet.

Stephanie Spero, a freshman from Roseland, said she enjoyed baking treats and serving the seniors. “It is good to do something for them,” Stephanie said. “It is another way to help out our community.”