Sawtooth Mountain Elementary School was busy with holiday festivities the week before Christmas. Grades K and 3 presented a holiday program on December 19 entitled ‘Twas One Crazy Night Before Christmas, involving three Santa imposters, a tribute to the hospitality skills of Martha Stewart, and a visit by someone who looked suspiciously like Santa himself. (Left) Abbey Stoddard narrated the tale. When Santa walked onstage near the end of the program, one performer exclaimed, “Is he real?”
The music department at School District 166 brightened the holidays for the community with three performances under the direction of K-12 teacher and band director Kerri Bilben.
The festivities began on Friday, December 16 with Betsy Jorgenson’s first graders and KB O’Neill’s second graders. They entertained a delighted crowd at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts with a concert titled Music for a Merry Christmas. Some of the songs performed featured music from other countries such as Mexico, England, France, Spain, as well as the classic American standard Frosty the Snowman.
On Monday, December 19, Lorelei Livingston’s third grade class, with the help of Julie Brandt and Dena Schliep’s kindergarten classes, performed the holiday play ‘Twas One Crazy Night Before Christmas, which is a lighthearted take on Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem about the night before Christmas. There were songs about visiting relatives—usual, but not wanted—presents, and a typical Yuletide tradition: turkey and football.
Staff photos/Jane Howard
The music department topped off their holiday performances with the annual WinterWonderBand concert on Tuesday, December 20. This annual concert is the debut for the sixth grade beginning band, which performed for the first time after only learning anything about band just 12 weeks ago.
The middle school band opened their set with a jazzed up version of Jingle Bells titled Jingle Jazz. They continued to show their expanding range of musicality as they performed African Noel, A Christmas Canon, and ending with the crowd-pleasing Parade of the Bumbling Wooden Soldiers.
The high school band traditionally rounds out every band concert. This band consists of students who have been participating in band for a minimum of four years; most seniors have been band members continuously since sixth grade. The high school band opened with Georges Bizet’s L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2, Farandole. They continued on with traditional English holiday music arranged by famous band composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The entire night wrapped up with the band’s final number, Christmas on a Snowy Night.
The Cook County High School band warmed its audience with a rousing holiday concert on December 20. Community members filled the bleachers for one of the biggest local events of the Christmas season. (L-R) Ben Seaton, Bekah Lakey, and Sarah Fagerman.
In addition to practicing for the winter band concert, the high school band has been busily raising funds for a trip to Memphis and Orlando in April 2012. The band expressed thanks to all of the businesses and individuals who have graciously donated money, time, effort, and means to the band.
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