Pipestone Flyer
Vol 14, Issue 51 (Leduc-Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer)
With such a well-choreographed extravaganza, you would think the kids have been practicing since mid-September...not so! “The kids are amazing!” says Warburg School music teacher Carolyn Meyer. “We start practicing the first of December and over the period of a couple of weeks they learn all their parts, learn all the dance moves...they go from nothing to this in just 2 ½ weeks! It’s just amazing!”
Principal Howard Rasmusson served as MC for the 2010 Warburg School Christmas Concert held on December 16. The audience of proud parents, grandparents, family and community friends enjoyed many chuckles. To kick things off, Paige Forster and the Du-Op Girls performed an upbeat pre-show number.
That rarity of rarities—the Kindergarten Nativity scene—was a delight and floated the “Aawww” factor through the roof. Seeing Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and wise men gathered around the baby Jesus in a manger, followed by a processional of costumed lambs, cows (and a retinue of somewhat non-traditional nativity animals—elephants, dogs, moose, racoons etc.) instantly melted hearts and left everyone smiling. Grade 4 and 5 accompanied the kindergarteners with “Winter Carol”.
Paige Hess, a Warburg Junior High student who performs with a choir in Edmonton, treated the audience to a special song.
Everyone was cheering for the “f-i-i-i-i-ve Stan-ley Cu-u-u-ps” during the Grade 1 rendition of The 10 Canadian Days of Christmas.
Grades 5 and 6 performed a unique black light number to the “Nutcracker Suite”. Individual dancing giant neon lollipops, presents and candies came together at the end to form a giant glowing neon nutcracker.
The Greg Gilpin play, OLD MAN WINTER’S ICICLE FOLLIES, featured Grade 5 and 6 students with Grade 6 students playing the lead roles. Every year before Santa’s big day, Old Man Winter presents a Holiday Spectacular at the North Pole called Old Man Winter’s Icicle Follies. The musicals incorporated students from grades 2-6.
If boogie woogie gets your toes to tapping, you would have loved the Grade 3 “reindeer’s” presentation of “Boogie Woogie Holiday”
Grade 4’s “Skating and Sleighin’” featured kids on skates pulling a big sleigh.
Grade 2 marching snowmen with kazoos sang and played “Snowmen on Parade” followed by Grade 5 singing “Santa’s Big Day.”
One grade three student fell from the stage during a dance number. According to school sources, he returned to school the next morning and does not appear to have suffered any serious injury.
A representative from the Alberta & NWT Lung Association (sponsor of the BLAST Smoking for Good Photo Contest), was to have made a formal presentation to the Warburg Junior High students for their second place win, but was unable to attend. Principal Rasmusson said, “In addition to the $350 students’ prize, Warburg School will receive a BLAST Youth Grant of $3500 which will be used to promote a healthy life-style—such as Phys-Ed equipment.”
Despite having laryngitis, Mrs. Meyer conducted the concert masterfully. The all cast finale, Johnny Reid’s, “Try and Change the World” was exceptional. The kids sang their hearts out! What a wonderful way to add a bit of sparkle to the Christmas season. Thank you Mrs. Meyer and Warburg School students for an exceptionally good play that reminds us of two things: “Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive” and that “Christmas is made of faith, love, family, and forgiveness.”