In several schools the night of the annual Christmas program was made even more exciting when the proper person lighted the little candles on the tree and Santa Claus appeared in red and white regalia with his "ho-ho's" and gifts. Electricity came to Swan Valley and made the Yule tree much safer in 1939- and thereafter. Nevertheless, some of the excitement and flavor of the original Christmas program has been preserved by District 92." (Afton Bitton, Trumpeter's Dell, pages 215-216)
My reflections: As a student of District 92 well after the consolidation, I too had a personalized experience, due to the hard work of our local teachers like Marian Packebush and Barbara Poole. They wrote several original plays for the school Christmas programs. I know they worked very hard on them and took pride in orchestrating an original program every year. I'm grateful they kept these traditions alive. Marian shared with me a transcript of the last play I took part in, as an 8th grader in Swan Valley Elementary. They wrote parts to fit our personalities. Daniel Lundquist and I stole the show in a futuristic adaptation of "The Christmas Carol" (circa 1992). I've asked the school if they would like to revisit any of these, but at this time it's not looking like it will happen. For the last several years the Christmas program has been a showcase of musical talent. This year will include skits performed by the students. It's always a good time, nonetheless; just to share in the joy and camaraderie of the holidays is a blessing we all enjoy. -Audi
