The Lincoln School gymnasium was filled with the warmth and joy of the holiday season December 19th for the 30th annual Second Grade Pen pal breakfast and holiday music performance.
To view the designed article visit: https://5il.co/2bdkc
Festively arrayed for the event, the room was transformed into a welcoming dining room where second graders served their senior citizen pen pals and a few other guests a sumptuous breakfast of croissants and jam, fruit cups, French toast bake, sausage links, hashed brown potatoes, Spanish rice pudding, juice and coffee.
Principal Kari Hamelinck graciously welcomed everyone to the event, a tradition so many each year have come to look forward to and enjoy. She thanked the senior citizen pen pals for taking the time to reach out to the second graders and said it meant so much to them.
“We are grateful that we are able to continue our Pen Pal program with members of our community each year. We could not make this happen without the support of the community members who take time to write to our students. The students are able to form connections with members of our community and we are able to celebrate those connections with our annual breakfast and performance,” she said afterward.
She also thanked “the second-grade teaching team that works collaboratively with the music department on the holiday performance, our custodial staff who set up the gym and parking, and our cafeteria staff who planned a breakfast around the world to match with the performance theme.”
As a token of appreciation for not only being pen pals, but coming to the event, the children, working with their teachers, made colorful placemats for guests.
After second graders met their pen pals they sang and danced in a musical performance called “Holidays Around The World”
Alexa Johnson’s class sang “Ein Leichtlein Brennt” and danced to the Irish folk dance “Irish Stew.” Alexandra Vermeersch’s class sang the traditional French Christmas carol “Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant” and danced to the Austrian folk dance “Kinderpolka.” Sharon Senno and Cara Colf’s class sang the Mexican Christmas song “Celebramos Juntos” and danced to the Russian folk dance “Sasha.”
The musical performance was directed by Lincoln and Newark Middle School music teacher Lara Larsson. Second grade teachers helped teach the children their dances. The same musical event was presented in an evening performance Dec. 20th for parents and others in the Newark Middle School auditorium.
"This year's 2nd Grade Holiday Performance, done annually in conjunction with the Lincoln Pen Pals program, has been a longstanding tradition for three decades. This would not have been possible without the leadership of second grade teachers Alexa Johnson, Alexandra VerMeersch, and Sharon Senno generously stepping in to round out the incredible team,” Larsson said after the Dec. 19th event at Lincoln School. “Supporting the 2nd Grade team with this special community event is an honor, and I am in awe of incredible music educators who have held this role before me. Lincoln volunteers Rebecca Adams, Stephanie Martin, Elaine Erb and Lisa Feagle also stepped up to create a magical experience for our students in the Lincoln gym and Middle School auditorium. The Lincoln cafeteria team, led by Carole Jablonski, created a beautiful menu for our pen pals' breakfast; the custodial team, led by Bob Mosteiro, set up our Lincoln stage, and Tina Kline with Tony Comella greeted our guests. Principal Kari Hamelinck welcomed guests at both performances.
“This year's theme, Holiday's Around the World, was crafted to provide students with the opportunity to see how shared experiences with their pen pals can extend to different cultures around the world through different languages and folk dances. It also connected to NYS Music Standards that teach students about the connection that music provides for all people. This year's folk dances were led by our incredible 2nd Grade Team who practiced the routines in their classrooms, embracing the exciting opportunity for arts integration through the application of NYS Standards in Dance and Physical Education. Classes began their musical preparation in October, where they learned about the countries of origin for their respective songs and practiced new words in French, German, Spanish, and Russian. Students began their work on the folk dances upon returning from Thanksgiving Break.
“This annual event would not be possible without the support of many volunteers and our district administration. Special thanks is extended to the Middle School music faculty, custodial, and administrative teams; Music department leader Cindy Briggs, Newark High School English teacher and Drama Club Advisor Emily Howard who helped out Dec. 20th at NMS with lighting and sound; NHS student Stage Managers Kylie Gravino & Alyvia Poole, and Kyle Bliek who recorded the performance at the Pen pal breakfast. Finally, the team wishes to extend their gratitude to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Krista Lewis, Assistant Superintendent for Business Ed Gnau, Superintendent Susan Hasenauer, and our pen pals!”