Gill, the school’s music teacher, and students Katelynn Ladd and Elise Spencer, dressed as reindeer, sang “Jingle Bells,” “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and many other holiday songs as parents, grandparents, elementary students and younger siblings visited classrooms where teachers read Christmas stories and the families made Christmas tree ornaments.
“We’ve done this for many years. It’s great to see the kids and the families all together,” said Wendy Moreau, assistant principal and one of the 14 readers for the evening.
For some families, this was their first time. For others, the special evening was something they enjoy each year.
Kathy and Gordon Davenport brought their granddaughter, Charlie, to listen to Moreau read “Santa’s Little Helper.”
“It’s awesome,” Kathy said. “It looks like they have a lot planned.” Rebecca Poat, a kindergarten teacher, said this is at least the 25th year Ornament Night has been held.
She was part of the first one when it was offered at the former Livermore Falls Elementary School. She said someone had leftover funds from a grant that were used to buy the first supplies for family-created ornaments.
Now, LES fundraisers pay for the materials to make such ornaments as sock monkeys, Santa Clauses, reindeer, snowmen and many other seasonal decorations.
Before the ornament-making, children listen to stories.
Poat was preparing to read “Great Joy” before the families created green-and-white sock monkeys.
Most of the ornaments made during this family night are placed on the families’ Christmas trees.
Gabby Beaudoin, now a seventh-grader, came with her mom and dad, Kim and Chris, and her sister, fourth-grader Christy. Over the years, she has made snowflakes, mittens, origami birds and a snowman. All hang on the family Christmas tree. Gabby was also a reindeer for Gill one year.
Christy likes to make ornaments and was looking forward to the activity after she and her family listened to kindergarten teacher Mary Stevens read “Christmas Bear.”
Families were also served sugar cookies after the story and ornament-making.
“We’re always looking for ways to promote families and literacy,” Principal Robert Kahler said.
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- Beth Rackliff, her third-grade daughter, Bayleigh, and ninth-grade son, Ben, place their faces in cut-out openings in a sleigh following Ornament Night at Livermore Elementary School.
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- The traveling minstrel, Livermore Elementary School music teacher Jan Gill, and students Katelynn Ladd and Elise Spencer sing Christmas songs in the corridors during the school’s annual Ornament Night.
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