JAY — An author with local ties visited Spruce Mountain Elementary School on Nov. 18 to read her book, The Reindeer Games: How Santa’s Reindeer Got Their Names and remind students to be kind and nice to one another, unlike some of the reindeer.

Spruce Mountain Elementary School students from left Charlotte Gochenour, Jase Price, Nolan Michaud, Liam Wilson, Dylan Hebert, Aubrianah Frank, Hunter Colson, and Cahlie Ross are picked to ring jingle bells Monday morning, Nov. 18, during the singing of Jingle Bells in the school cafeteria in Jay. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Robards grew up in Fayette, graduated from Livermore Falls High School and now lives in Upper Jay, New York.

Robards has written books on antiques, has one published children’s book and two on celluloid [plastic]. She is working on others, has “three more on her computer in the works,” she said. The published children’s book is illustrated by her friend, O.Grace Potthast.

Robards once worked at Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, New York, which is in Wilmington. It was there that she got the name Julie Jingles. “It is the oldest theme park in the nation,” she said. “It opened in 1949.”

Spruce Mountain Elementary School students act out the words to a song Monday morning, Nov. 18, during a presentation by Julie Jingles Robards in the school cafeteria in Jay. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Robards performs as a children’s musical entertainer as Julie Jingles. “I always loved working with kids,” she said.

Robards first met with the third grade students and three of the fourth grade classes. She chose several students to use small bells to add the key ingredient when everyone sang Jingle Bells. She then guided the students in another song dealing with Christmas trees, during which the children carried out hand gestures or other actions to fit the words of the song.

Students were asked to raise their hands and name one of Santa’s reindeer when called upon. Rudolph was quickly identified as were a few others. She had to help draw forth the names for some by giving little hints associated with their names. Everyone then sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Julie Jingles Robards of Upper Jay, New York, at right reads her book The Reindeer Games: How Santa’s Reindeer Got Their Names on Nov. 18 to students at Spruce Mountain Elementary School in Jay. Also seen in the school cafeteria is Becky Pelletier, Robard’s mother of Fayette. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Afterwards, Robards spoke about the Olympic games. She asked the students if they knew how the reindeer got their names, explaining that Santa used Christmas Olympic games to help name them. She then read her book. It explained how they each played different games after which Santa named one of the eight most well-known reindeer. One was fastest in a short race, earning him the name Dasher and Vixen was named due to her being as clever as a female fox [a vixen]. Donner was named for the German word for thunder and Blitzen means lightning in German.

Robards included Rudolph in her story, noting that he was shy and got upset when the other reindeer wouldn’t let him play their games. She used that part to encourage the students to be kind to one another and not bully anyone.

Later Robards met with the remaining fourth grade classes and all fifth grade students.