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‘Like a community event’

Schoolhouses rock Christmas carols for families

News Photo by Julie Goldberg Wilson Elementary School students perform in the school’s winter holiday program on Monday. The students performed Christmas songs for parents and families.

ALPENA — Local elementary schools have been packed with parents and families for winter holiday programs.

During the school day, students practiced the songs they performed during the holiday programs. Among the songs students performed were “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” “Decorate the Tree,” “Christmas in Any Language,” and others.

Alpena Public Schools Music Teacher Claire Schreiber said Monday that multiple resources are used to help pick out the songs. She said she and APS Music Teacher Candyce Peterson work together to pick the songs for each holiday program.

“We kind of collaborate on different things and so we give each other resources,” Schreiber said. “There’s a lot of resources online, which makes it really easy and really fun to create a concert.”

The music teachers have the challenge of putting a winter holiday program together at multiple schools. Schreiber planned the programs for Ella White, Sanborn, and Wilson elementary schools, while Peterson planned the concerts for Besser, Hinks, and Lincoln elementary schools.

Schreiber said it’s a challenge to pick the days for the programs, but they manage to figure out the schedule.

“It feels like a stretch to the end, but we get it all done, and it’s really enjoyable,” she said.

Schreiber said she talks to the students to see who is interested in performing solos or on instruments, and she holds auditions for the parts. For the motions students perform during the songs, Schreiber said she uses resources online or she comes up with them on her own.

Schreiber said seeing the gymnasiums packed with parents and families shows that they are supportive of what the students are doing.

“I really appreciate how the parents come out to see and really support what the kids do in school,” Schreiber said. “It’s really encouraging to see, and they seem to really enjoy it. It’s like a community event.”

Schreiber said there’s a good spirit about music in Alpena and the students enjoy the programs just as much as the parents and families.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.

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