Turner Woods Elementary School held their annual Christmas celebration on Dec. 15, rewarding the students for their good behavior with a little holiday spirit.
Jeffrey Tharpe, principal of Turner Woods Elementary School, said the students look forward to the celebration each year. He said they enjoy seeing their teachers help put on a performance.
“This has been a tradition at Turner Woods since I started, and it’s an opportunity to celebrate the holiday season, celebrate the season of being kind and giving and also to celebrate our students,” he said. “They got to have fun, play some games and some students received rewards for making great choices all year long.”
He said the students got to see Santa Claus, watch the elf with his antics, participate in a snowball fight, listen to Santa Claus read to them, hear the choir sing, watch the dance team perform, listen to their teachers sing to them, and watch their teachers decorate one teacher in their team as a Christmas tree.
Lili Cook, a fifth-grade student, said she enjoys Turner Woods Elementary School, because all of the teachers have been nice. She said they have been there to help her every day. She said she enjoys spending time with her family during Christmas.
“We got to sing songs like
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The different grades came out, and we performed for them. The dancers danced for them, too. All the kids get to have fun seeing Santa Claus and the elf. I liked it, because I got to sing and dance for everyone. Everything is jolly at Turner Woods during Christmas,” she said.
Third grade student, Graham Payne, said his favorite part about the Christmas celebration was being able to sing. He said Christmas time at Turner Woods Elementary School is great, because they have a ton of Christmas spirit and it’s a great school.
“I liked everything we did during the celebration. We got to sing songs and see the wonderful reactions everyone had about Christmas,” Payne said. “Everyone had a good time, because they got to throw snowballs and stuff.”
Tharpe said it’s important to do their annual Christmas celebration, because the students get to see the teachers and staff giving back to them. He said it shows them how to be kind and give back to others. He said they also get to celebrate in a good way.
The principal said his favorite thing about Christmas is being kind to others and giving to others. He said he enjoys being able to give and not ask for anything in return. He said he was glad he was able to do the celebration again this year and looks forward to seeing the students next year.
“I have students asking me all year long if we are still doing the Christmas celebration and when it’s coming. They love this,” Tharpe said. “All of this is my favorite part of the celebration. Seeing the looks on these students’ faces is the most rewarding part of this.”
