EL MONTE – Nearly 200 Gidley School students donned elf hats, holiday sweaters and garlands of blinking Christmas lights during the school’s 2018 Winter Sing on Dec. 19, as they sang a selection of seasonal tunes for visiting parents and relatives.

The Winter Sing, which has been a holiday mainstay at Gidley for more than 18 years, featured K-6 and special education students singing holiday favorites, including “Up on the Housetop” and “Let it Snow.”

This year’s event was the first to feature the school’s Conga Kids members, who danced to “Hit the Road Jack” and “Micaela” and celebrated their first-place win at the District’s Conga Kids semifinal on Dec. 12.

“I loved everything about this year’s Winter Sing event because I like to sing and dance and we had fun doing it,” fifth-grader Diego Rodriguez said. “I liked performing for my parents and getting into the holiday spirit because like they say – it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

Gidley School has been gearing up for the Winter Sing for a month, TK-6 music teacher Patience Pohjala said.

“My favorite part is seeing the kids get excited when they walk into the auditorium and seeing their reaction when they see their parents witness what they’ve been working on,” Pohjala said.

Pohjala, who has taught music in the District for three years, said she enjoyed the impressive performance by the Conga Kids students.

“My son has been looking forward to performing in the Winter Sing event,” El Monte resident Sara Tafoya Marquez said. “He’s been practicing and singing new songs at home for the last week but he won’t let me hear him sing, so it builds up a momentum that makes me look forward to the performance.”

Marquez, who came to watch her kindergartener perform, also said she likes seeing parents and students get into the holiday spirit at the event.

“We are very proud of our Gidley School students for once again putting on a fantastic performance at the annual Winter Sing,” Superintendent Dr. Maribel Garcia said. “It’s absolutely amazing to have our students perform with so much passion for their parents and show their holiday spirit.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

EMCSD_WINTER1: Gidley School second-graders perform “I want to Be an Elf” at the school’s annual Winter Sing on Dec. 19. The Winter Sing, which has been a holiday mainstay at Gidley for more than 18 years, featured K-6 and special education students singing holiday favorites for visiting parents and relatives.

EMCSD_WINTER2: Nearly 200 Gidley School students fill the school’s auditorium and perform “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” to visiting parents and relatives at the school’s annual Winter Sing on Dec. 19.