Holiday piano recital

Christmas tunes were shared this morning by three performing pianists ~ Mason, Mariah, & Mayer! Staff members at Fred Assam Elementary were treated to a private piano recital just in time for the holidays! Each pianist played two familiar Christmas carols for their listeners. Being a piano performer myself ~ I enjoyed their music and had my toes tapping to the beat of each song.

Little sister Maya & her baby listened as her siblings played their piano pieces. Perhaps one day ~ we'll be listening to her perform on the piano, too.

Keep practicing ~ you might not always like it now ~ but you'll enjoy it for the rest of your life!

Meet Me at the Manger

No Christmas season would be complete without attending a church Christmas program! With a special invitation from Brooklyn and Halle ~ both students at Fred Assam Elementary, I enjoyed the Christmas musical Meet Me at the Manger. Making it a family affair ~ mom Nicole directed the musical. Nicole can also be found working as an EA here at school! Rounding out a very talented family is sister Savannah ~ a middle school student in Brandon.

Thanks you ladies ~ for sharing your talents!

Cookie Dough delivery

Student Council members ~ along with a few 5th grade friends ~ helped unload frozen cookie dough on a very chilly day. But as you can see from the pictures, it wasn't all work and no play. They each found time to discover just how much fun you could have on the carts that were used to move the cookie dough from the truck to inside the school.

Trivia regarding the cookie dough ~

931 tubs of cookie dough were sold.

Those tubs were packed into 200 boxes.

Those boxes weighed 3165 pounds!

The Singing Boys of Sioux Falls

I had the opportunity again this Christmas season to hear The Singing Boys perform their Christmas concert. The Concert Choir - as pictured here - is an auditioned choir. Boys usually enter this choir after participating in the Preparatory Choir. Above average musicianship,

attitude, and deportment are expected of all members. The Concert Choir performs at various community functions, schools, churches, private parties, and has two scheduled tours annually. The Concert Choir performs their Christmas Concert and Tea and the Spring Concert, both of which are open to the community.

5th grade Band Director Mr. Hubers is the proud parent of Jacob ~ who sings in the Concert Choir.

The Preparatory Choir is directed by Mr. Jeff Fode ~ a music teacher with the Brandon Valley School District.

WONDERS OF WINTER

WOW! Wonders of Winter! First, second, & third grade students filled the Performing Arts Center with their vibrant voices on Tuesday evening. Parents & Grandparents joined together to listen as the children sang songs filled with holiday spirit. While it's always exciting to hear the festive tunes ~ I enjoy seeing the boys & girls dressed in their finest clothes and spiffed-up hair! They are dressed to impress! Mrs. Gingi Hanson is the vocal director at Fred Assam Elementary and put together another awesome performance of singing, actions, solos, and entertainment!

I'll say it again ~ I can't wait to watch these children as they eventually perform in middle and high school. What TALENT we have at Fred Assam Elementary School!

Also ~ thanks Mrs. Hanson and students for letting me "tickle the ivories" during your program! You make me feel special!

Middle School Orchestra & Jazz Band perform at Fred Assam Elementary School

Brandon Valley Middle School students brought their music to Fred Assam Elementary! Students and staff were entertained by the orchestra and jazz band this week. A student director led the orchestra while Ms. Laura Baker directed the jazz band. We enjoyed listening to the holiday tunes ~ and I heard a few comments from elementary students that they "couldn't wait to play the bass" or "play in the jazz band"! THANKS for your fine performance and showing our students what fun it is to play a musical instrument! We hope you will visit again next year!

5th grade band students perform

Holiday music filled the Performing Arts Center on Monday night. 5th grade band students shared their musical talents with a "packed house". Job Well Done ~ students and directors Mr. Kevin Kessler & Mr. Del Hubers!

Orchestra Holiday Concert

4th and 5th grade orchestra students performed their holiday music on Monday night. The orchestra is directed by Mrs. Patti Nelson. Congratulations on a fine performance!

Beautiful sunrise!

I took this picture this morning ~ Monday, December 13 ~ about 7:45am. The sun was just starting to rise in the east. What a beautiful sight to a very chilly morning! The temperature said 8 degrees with a wind chill of minus 2.

Cookie Dough Delivery

COOKIE DOUGH WILL BE DELIVERED ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15!

YOU MAY PICK IT UP ANY TIME THAT DAY BY 7:00 PM. CALL THE OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 582-1500

Commons Area "POPS" with color!

After many hours of painting and processing, the end is in sight! 5th grade girls are helping to put the wallpaper paste on the back of art work.

Artist Mary Wipf, Sandy Klatt and son Carter were up on the lift to wallpaper the students' art work to each soffit in the Commons Area. It was quite a process to work the bubbles out and cover the area ~ also a challenge was to have each section match up with the next!

Students and staff gathered in the Commons Area at 8:25 Monday morning for the "unveiling". Art work was covered by brown paper until the exact time.

2nd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

5th grade

Kindergarten and first grade art work will be finished and wallpapered by the end of this week. Many thanks to the Fred Assam Elementary PTA for sponsoring Artist Mary Wipf, Sandy Klatt for coordinating this project, Becky Blue & family for providing a home for Mary to stay, the many volunteer moms who helped with touch up painting, elementary staff for their flexible schedules to have students paint, and ~ most importantly ~ the students who made this art work come to life. The theme of the project is Acts of Kindness ~ something that the students and staff at Fred Assam Elementary promote every day! Be sure to stop in and enjoy our murals.