Play makes learning differences fun
During the winter months, many cultures and faiths celebrate
different holidays. Students at R.O. Hardin Elementary School
learned about four of them
– Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year – through
the play
”
Season of Light.
”
Play makes learning differences fun
During the winter months, many cultures and faiths celebrate different holidays. Students at R.O. Hardin Elementary School learned about four of them – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year – through the play “Season of Light.”
Open Window Entertainment, a touring group of actors, performed for the school Dec. 7. The company is based in Los Angeles.Actors Erica Brauer, Christopher Richards and tony sanders (he insists on lower case), sang and spoke about the holidays. They shared the history behind each celebration.
The actors quickly pulled the audience into their skits. They asked teachers to play characters from their seats. They also brought children onstage to act out the parts of historical figures that played roles in thecreating holidays and modern day people enjoying the occasions.
Brittany Rodriguez, 8, joined “Jump Chamidor,” a Carribean song which celebrates determination, one of the themes of Kwanzaa. Though she found being onstage scary at first, she enjoyed the experience, and learned a lot.
“You can celebrate every holiday,” Rodriguez said. “You don’t have to pick one.”
The play includes words and songs in English, Spanish and Swahili. Teresa Love wrote the play fifteen years ago, and thought it was important to include the words to further embrace the culture of the holidays. Love visited the school with the actors.
The actors often see children joining in on “Noche de Paz” or “Night of Peace”, a version of “Silent Night”, said Brauer. She noticed kids in the audience at R.O. Hardin singing along.
“If they recognize it, and sing along, even though their Spanish is better (than ours), I know we’re doing it right,” she said.
R. O. Hardin Vice Principal Lilia Espinoza invited the performers to her school as she wanted her students to learn about cultural differences.
“Our nation is made up of different cultures. Espinoza said. “We want our kids to be exposed to them and educated about them.”
Principal Linda Smith enjoyed the performance.
“They really got the students involved,” Smith said. “It was great to see their smiles.”
Smith appreciated that they used the show to explain that the holidays weren’t just about getting presents, but also about giving, she said.
“A lot of our students appreciate the value of giving and think about what to give to their parents or other families,” Smith said.
Espinoza learned about Kwanza from this play, she said.
Love wanted appreciation for the holidays and cultures of other people to grow through her play.
“I hope the show brings us together and doesn’t divide us,” Love said. The shirts the actors wear including “Joy” “Jolly” “Party” and “Light”, which are all things that the four holidays have in common, she said.
While the students enjoyed learning about the holidays of other cultures, many of them have family traditions they celebrate each year.
“A family reunion in Mexico and fireworks,” are a big part of nine-year-old Jailene Sotelo’s Christmas.
Elias Blanco’s family sings songs, and all toys received are shared.
“I give presents like the Wise Men,” said Elias Blanco, 9, whose family sings songs and shares toys.
At Cynthia Murillo’s house, the Christmas holiday is a time for worship.
“Most of all we pray,” said Murillo, 9. “We pray because Jesus was born that special day.”
Open Window Entertainment stages performances on a variety of educational subjects and can be contacted at www.openwindowentertainment.com
Celebrate good times
R. O. Hardin fourth-graders share their family holiday traditions
I celebrate Christmas by giving gifts. Also we sometimes have partys. Finily we celebrate Jesus’s Birthday.
Jesse Escobedo, 9
I celibrate Christmas. When we celibrate we mostly spend time with each other then we start gathering each present. Then we start from little from big to open presents. Then we all video tape it. That is how I celibrate my Christmas.
Daisha Garcia, 9
I celebrate Chineese New Year. I think that chineese New Year is outstanding because you get to have big fire crackers popping before your eyes. Also you can get together and have a dinner. My favorite part in chinesse New Year is spending time with my family, going to my other part of my family to. So if you celebrate Chinesse New Year, you could maybe come and join me if every part of the celebration.
Lacey Morris, 9
How do we celebrate Christmas is that sometimes we go to my cousins house and sometimes we don’t. Most of the Christmas’s we stay home and celebrate. I hope you really like how I celebrate Christmas.
Cathy Yebra, 9
I celebrate Christmas like this. I put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with many beautiful deacourations. I help my mom put up lights outside on our house and go buy presents. I usually go with my aunts to go celebrate. I sometimes make ginger bread houses. I do many many other stuff but thats all the stuff could say.
Jenny Velazquez, 9
I celebrate every holiday but heres my favorite. My favorite holiday is Christmas. This is how I celebrate Christmas. Like modern families I decorate a tree and I give and take presents. But I never forget what Christmas is about. I decorate trees and help my mom and dad decorate the house inside and out. I always find nice things that I give my mom and dad presents. Thats what I do for Christmas. Thank you for listening.
Chelse Fritcher, 9
