St. Marys School
December Newsletter
Nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like an old fashioned Christmas
pageant, featuring small children dressed in their fathers’ bathrobes
and wearing their mothers’ best towels on their heads. Every other
year, the upper grades are busy preparing for the spring musical, so
the responsibility for the Christmas program falls to the lower grades.
This year the teachers decided that we hadn’t had an old fashion
pageant (think a “Charlie Brown Christmas”) in a long time. And what
parent’s heart doesn’t glow when her child, resplendent in a magi’s
attire, steps (or trips as the case may be) on stage?
And as a bonus for the teachers, Christmas pageants are really easy to
put together. The songs are ones that the children pretty much know by
heart and the script is the best to be found, verses from the Bible. In
our past programs, the preschoolers were the opening act. They would
sing, very softly, and look cute as buttons. This year, however, one of
the preschool teachers requested that the preschoolers be part of the
actual program. They were feeling left out. So she and I decided that
since we would be having shepherds as part of the pageant, why not have
the preschoolers be sheep?
All they really had to do was walk in with the second grade shepherds
and look as cute as buttons. Simplicity itself! What could go wrong?
(OK, now it’s time for an aside here. You would think that after all my
years of experience, I would know better than to ask that question.)
Practice went smoothly throughout the month of December. The children
sang like angels. We never did get to practice with all of the thirty-
three preschool sheep. We have three separate preschool classes which
are never at school at the same time. But again, all they had to do was
walk down the aisle with a second grader. What could go wrong?
December 15 was the big night. Friends and family gathered in the
church. The program opened with the third and fourth graders, dressed
as carolers, singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. Mary and Joseph took
their places and were joined by first grade stars who twinkled and shed
gold glitter all over the place. The heavenly host of kindergarteners,
with just a few haloes askew, joined in telling the Christmas story
through songs and readings. The students began humming “O Come All Ye
Faithful”. This was the cue for the shepherds and their sheep to enter.
As we were starting to hum the song a second time, I realized that I
hadn’t caught any movement in my peripheral vision. I looked over my
shoulder and saw that there were no sheep or shepherds coming down the
aisle. I looked to the back of the church where the sheep and shepherds
were supposed to be assembled only to see one of my colleagues shrug
her shoulders and mouth “No sheep!” Thus began the marathon humming of
“O Come All Ye Faithful”. I really wish the folks from Guinness World
Book of Records had been there because I really think we may have had a
shot at the record for the most consecutive humming of “O Come All Ye
Faithful”. After a while to add a little variety we “aahed” some
verses, then we “oohed” a verse or two. Frankly I was starting to run
out of sounds! Besides that, the third and fourth grade carolers were
beginning to perspire profusely under their hats, scarves and gloves.
At last I looked back and saw what appeared to be a giant cotton ball
in the vestibule. The sheep had arrived. After a few more verses, (I
would tell you how many, but I had long since lost count) they began
their trek toward Bethlehem and we could finally sing the carol. I have
no idea of how long the children had hummed, oohed, and aahed. It
seemed like hours! Obviously we had severely underestimated the time it
takes to herd a flock of preschoolers from the school to the back of
church. Luckily the Three Kings had no such trouble traveling from the
East! The program ended with our traditional rendition of “We Wish You
a Merry Christmas!” This may have been our most memorable Christmas
program. Perhaps my favorite part of the evening was when someone
commented that this was the best organized pageant she had ever seen.
The citywide spelling bee was held on December 16. Our school was
represented by Isabelle Rammel and Carson Pope. Isabelle won third
place and Carson fifth. Congratulations to both for representing our
school so well.
On behalf of the staff and students at St. Mary’s School, I would like
to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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