The Christmas program at East Campus was awesome! The pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students practiced and worked very hard to put on an exciting and exhilarating show. The students sung songs in English, Spanish, and Filipino. What a talented group of students! They danced to the beat and had a great time performing for our parents and guests.
This year Varnett's East campus presented "Christmas in the Philippines." The idea was to help our new teachers from the Philippines feel more at home in their new surroundings. The Christmas holiday is a time that we most spend with family and also travel to our home towns to visit with family and friends. Our new teachers will not be able to visit the Philippines, so I thought it would be nice to bring their Christmas traditions to Varnett. This would expose our children to another culture which will help them broaden their view of the world and become a well-rounded global competitor one day.
This year Varnett's East campus presented "Christmas in the Philippines." The idea was to help our new teachers from the Philippines feel more at home in their new surroundings. The Christmas holiday is a time that we most spend with family and also travel to our home towns to visit with family and friends. Our new teachers will not be able to visit the Philippines, so I thought it would be nice to bring their Christmas traditions to Varnett. This would expose our children to another culture which will help them broaden their view of the world and become a well-rounded global competitor one day.
Here are a couple of things we all learned from our program. Christmas is one of the most exciting holidays that starts in September. This is when colorful lanterns called "parols" are hung in Filipino homes. In this case, the parols were hung in our multi-purpose room along with other decorations you might see in the Philippines. A parol is a star-lantern, a symbol of Christmas in the Philippines, representing the guiding light, the star of Bethlehem.
Christmas in the Philippines is a mixture of Western and native Filipino traditions. Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, sending Christmas cards, exchanging gifts and singing carols, have all been inherited from the cultures of the West. In fact, the first teachers in the Philippines were American soldiers. That is why Filipinos know the English language so well. It is their second language! For Filipinos, Christmas has a deeper meaning. They attend Simbang Gabi, which is a Holy Dawn Mass that starts on December 16th and lasts for 9 days. It is a way of giving thanks for all the blessings you receive. The students also learned Merry Christmas in Filipino is Maligayang Pasko!
Meanwhile, The 1st through 5th grade program on Wednesday night, Dec. 8, was full of surprises. It was so creative how the play actors had behind-the-scene voice-overs. The entire audience was able to hear every word spoken during the "Christmas in the Philippines" play. The actors were very expressive in non-verbal ways. The dancers were graceful and their choreographed steps superb. The singing was excellent and heart-felt. All the groups performed very well and the audience loved every minute of the show. I was so proud of our students and staff who helped make the program a success!
Meanwhile, The 1st through 5th grade program on Wednesday night, Dec. 8, was full of surprises. It was so creative how the play actors had behind-the-scene voice-overs. The entire audience was able to hear every word spoken during the "Christmas in the Philippines" play. The actors were very expressive in non-verbal ways. The dancers were graceful and their choreographed steps superb. The singing was excellent and heart-felt. All the groups performed very well and the audience loved every minute of the show. I was so proud of our students and staff who helped make the program a success!
Gayle Voltz
East Campus Director
Click here for Pre-K photos
Click here for kindergarten photos
Click here for 1st through 5th grade photos
More photos in Houston Chronicle, Thursday, Dec. 9, on Page B2
December 17, 2010
Click here for kindergarten photos
Click here for 1st through 5th grade photos
More photos in Houston Chronicle, Thursday, Dec. 9, on Page B2
December 17, 2010