WEST ORANGE, NJ - It was an incredible week at Washington Elementary School, pulling out all the stops to bring holiday cheer through a preschool singalong, hiding GingerREAD figures, and hosting a huge town-wide toy giveaway supported by the West Orange School District, West Orange Township, West Orange Hispanic Foundation, and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
On Dec. 12, the Betty Maddalena Preschool invited parents, family, and friends for a special singalong featuring percussion and holiday tunes. Students performed songs like "Feliz Navidad" and "Jingle Bells," for enthusiastic family and friends.
Each December, Washington Elementary School celebrates Seasons Readings with special literacy-based activities developed by Reading Specialist Wendi Giuliano and staff featuring author visits, holiday padlets and reading rooms, literacy themed holiday cards and more, filling the halls with holiday cheer. The biggest event is the GingerREAD Celebration, and it is underway with a GingerREAD search. Every classroom teacher and class, and every department was given a GingerREAD person to disguise and hide throughout the building. Students, along with their teacher(s), participate in a “search” for all of these delightfully and cleverly disguised characters. The excitement and enthusiasm is contagious, and each classroom is competing to see just how many hidden GingerREADs they can find.
On Dec. 16, hundreds of toys were distributed to families in town in the Washington Elementary School gym, thanks to the efforts of the school district, Township, West Orange Hispanic Foundation, and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. Superintendent Hayden Moore, Mayor Susan McCartney, councilpersons Michelle Casalino and Tammy Williams, Margie Heller from St. Barnabas and Deputy Mayor Rodolfo Rodriguez were on hand to help distribute toys. The smiles on the faces of the children warmed many hearts as they hugged Santa (played by World Languages Supervisor Felix Plata) and picked out a toy.
See all the photos Washington Preschool Singalong HERE and the Toy Giveaway HERE.
Washington Elementary Preschool Singalong
Washington Elementary Preschool Singalong
Special Education Supervisor Dawn Ribeiro, teacher Meryl Tillis, Acting Director of Special Services Connie Salimbeno, teacher Shari Whitman
GingerREAD hidden figure at WES
GingerRead hidden figure at WES
GingerREAD hidden figure at WES
Toy Giveaway: (L-R) WOPD Herbie Granatos, Auxilliary PD Pat Sutherland, WOHF Jessica Rodriguez and Mercedes Azucey, Mayor Susan McCartney and WOHF Rodolfo Rodriguez, ESL and World Languages Supervisor Felix Plate (Santa) Cooperman Barnabas Margie Heller, Joe McCartney
Children run to Santa
Parents and children sing carols and receive toys
