By Kyi Gasmen
The kindergarten class, taught by Lovie Brock and Kara Rodrigues, was greeted with a Christmas party hosted by the Class of 2024 on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. In the weeks preceding the event, the senior class met after school to bake cookies, organize games to play, and bought gifts for every kindergartener. They selected Vincent Nothstine to dress as Santa Claus, and bought peppermints to distribute amongst all the classes at Mt. Eccles Elementary.
At 9 a.m. that Thursday, the senior class made their way to the elementary school for the final preparations and execution of the event. Storytime was organized on the cafeteria stage. Frosting was laid out for cookie-decorating. A group of seniors sat in a circle on the floor for a game of duck, duck, goose. Craft supplies were arranged for creating ornaments. The kindergarten class was ecstatic to see the games prepared for them. Children smiled during storytime, licked frosting while decorating their cookies, laughed as seniors and kindergarteners alike chased each other during duck, duck, goose, and exercised their creativity in crafting their ornaments.
The kindergarteners cycled through each activity station and afterwards they gathered in their classroom to color drawing sheets. Seniors engaged in more conversations with and colored alongside the kindergarten class.
This Christmas party has been a tradition between Cordova High School and Mt. Eccles Elementary since before even the staff could remember. When the senior class was asked if they remembered attending the event as kindergarteners themselves, the majority said no. Not only was the senior class reminded of tradition, but also of what it means to be a young child again.
While the seniors and kindergarteners were coloring, Santa Claus entered the room. Children cheered and rushed to sit on his lap, kindergarteners and seniors both. Every kindergartener was then given a gift from Santa himself.
“When we gave them their presents…they all smiled and were super excited. It was cool to watch our youth so excited,” said Arianna Ryan, president of the senior class.
Finally, it was time to leave and the senior class distributed one last gift to the kindergarteners: they gave them peppermint candies. And just before exiting the building, the seniors visited every classroom, giving peppermints to everyone in Mt. Eccles. If a classroom was empty, they left the candies on students’ desks, waiting for them to return.
