Beach Elementary celebrates the holidays
Christmas came a little early for students at Beach Elementary School.
Before leaving or their winter break this past Monday, students from kindergarten through fifth grade were involved in the annual Holiday Program on Thursday, Dec. 16, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The day before that event, the third graders invited their parents to the Beach school for the annual International Luncheon in the campus art studio.
The long-standing Beach Elementary School Holiday Program has been around for many, many years. It began at 5 p.m. in the courtyard where students, family and friends gathered to view their artwork and participated in cookie decorating, glitter gluing Christmas trees, a dreidel game, creating Florida Frosty the snowmen, nail painting, tattoos, making Hawaiian necklaces and Australian ornament making. They also welcomed a visit from Santa.
At 6 p.m., the action moved over to the pavilion where each class grouped together to sing holiday songs with the central theme of “Christmas around the World.” This involved the kindergarten class singing “Hanukkah, Hanukkah”; the first graders singing a Japanese version of “Jingle Bells”; the second graders singing the American version of “Frosty the Snowman”; the third graders singing the Australian version of “Australian 12 Days of Christmas”; the fourth graders singing the Hawaiian version of “Mele Kalikimaka”; and the fifth graders singing both the English and German versions of “Oh, Christmas Tree.”
Beach Elementary Music Teacher Robert Mezzio, who also teaches at Pinewoods and Bonita elementary schools held three practice sessions for the students before the night’s performance.
“We all need to work together,” he said. “I’m just so thankful to be here. We did a 1 -hour rehearsal Tuesday and Wednesday and a little today. The students are the ones who came though. They have such a great attitude.”
Before the class songs, a version of “The First Noel” was performed with Mezzio on guitar, Samantha Maurer on violin and Louis on congos.
At the annual International Luncheon, food was the focus for the elementary teachers, staff, students and parents.
“We spend a few weeks before Christmas studying holiday customs around the world,” said Kathy Brindise, third-grade teacher at Beach Elementary. “This is the culmination of our discussions.
“We get the parents involved and see if they’d like to do research and make recipes of the countries where their families’ ancestors are from.”
The menu for the buffet lunch included an Australian cake, French Canadian maple pie, Mexican empanadas, Italian baked ziti, Ireland shepherd’s pie, Irish potato soup, Polish karogies, Poland potato pancakes, German Congo bars and Oriental food.
The students will return to school Jan. 3.
- “That was really special,” said Principal Larry Wood, who thanked everyone involved after the Holiday Program was complete. “This was amazing considering we only had three practices, but we had more than that thanks to Cathy Trent and Lori Zamniak. All of our students are now on the nice list. There’s no doubt about that.”