Gameti counts down to Christmas
Gift-making, inflated reindeer obstacle course and tobagganing round out festive celebrations
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Saturday, December 19, 2015
GAMETI/RAE LAKES
Students at Jean Wetrade Gameti School counted down to Christmas together, thanks to special events organized by school staff.
Nicole Blackduck-Zoe participates in the Candy Cane Challenge at Jean Wetrade Gameti School during the 12 Days of Christmas event. - photo courtesy of Judy Wedawin
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Jill Mulcahy, program support teacher and literacy coach and librarian Krystin Deckert partnered with staff to create the 12 Days of Christmas event, which featured a different activity each day.
"There was something for each class, from preschool right up to Grade 12, to get them involved," Mulcahy said.
Students took part in a "selfie" day, where students created elves out of pictures they took of themselves and a gift-making day, where they made Christmas presents for someone special.
One of the most popular events was a minute-to-win-it race where students had to dress up as elves and ride an inflatable reindeer around an obstacle course.
"It was really fun," Mulcahy said.
They also had a toboggan day with snowmobile rides, Christmas bingo and caroling karaoke.
Grade 6 student Amelia Bekale said her favourite day was making Snowman Soup during the Christmas in the Kitchen event.
"You got to make your own hot chocolate and then you gave it to somebody special for Christmas," she said. "I gave mine to my mom."
She also enjoyed the toboggan and snowmobile rides and the classroom door decorating contest.
Mulcahy said points were given for each activity and on the final day, every class received a box full of treats during the school's Christmas concert on Dec. 15.
"Each of the classes won a big box of things they could share together," she said.
The boxes contained candy canes, chocolate and a Christmas movie for the class to watch. They also included stockings, which students had made as an activity in Tlicho class, that the students were able to take with them at the end of the day.
"They could celebrate together as a class and then they each had their little stocking to take home," Mulcahy said.
Mulcahy said it was great to watch all of the students having fun together, especially those in older grades.
"It was so nice to see the older kids, too, really just having a ball," she said. "They reminded me of when they were young. It was really nice to see."
The event was definitely a success, she added.
"We just wanted people to have fun before the holidays and work together and it seemed to work," she said.
Bekale said she agreed.
"Everybody had a good time," she said.
Classes at JWGS will resume on Jan. 4.
