Celebrating together matters the most

Besides the occasional encounters with the holidays’ grinches, I am looking forward to wearing cozy sweaters, slipping on fuzzy socks and drinking delicious hot chocolate. 

As Lawrence Woodmere Academy (LWA) students enter the school building on the last day before break, they will be greeted with songs sung by their best friends and favorite teachers. Holidaygrams and gift bags are given out to spread holiday cheer and the school’s clubs sell baked goods to the school community.

All three divisions of LWA gather in Hessel Hall for a holiday-themed performance from the Dance Club. Students move the crowd with their steps and choreography that go to the beat of everyone’s favorite hip-hop songs. Afterward, Alex Altieri, the upper school music teacher, performs songs on the piano for the Holiday Sing-Along.

What I will remember most about the holidays at LWA is the students’ enthusiasm while singing “I Have A Little Dreidel” and “Frosty the Snowman” before school is dismissed. 

Expressing love and cheer before we prepare to bring in the New Year is a big tradition at our school. In the close-knit community we have at LWA, we value the differences between one another. To us, it doesn’t matter which holiday we celebrate as long as we are celebrating together.