February 23, 2024
The Christmas season came and went leaving us with new hope for the new year. As we look back, Renton Prep has had a great first semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. And it all culminated with a beautiful Christmas program that evoked emotions of sentimental yearning for Christmas past.
You may be wondering why this title? The purpose of this Christmas program was to shed a light on previous pieces that our students have performed in the past. So, with the theme being Nostalgia with Purpose, all of the pieces were “throwbacks.” Our participants and organizers had fun looking back through the Christmas program archives and choosing pieces to perform. Also, this gives spectators a preview of the dance program, of the same title, in May. So, you can expect the event to touch on past dances performed by our students.
This year, our students sang three pieces as one, unified choir, including students from KinderPrep to 10th grade. For example, the Dona Nobis Pacem, which has a simplistic melody line and message (give us peace), had a powerful effect when sung as a canon. Also, the Renton Prep Christmas program tried new features! Our students and instructors were able to create a “surround sound” effect. They achieved this by having one group singing in the middle of the audience, one group on one of the sides of the stage, and another group on stage.
At Renton Prep, we encourage our students to stand out in academics as well as in the arts. And this encouragement goes beyond the classroom, it begins with the modeling of our teachers and administrators. Our dedicated faculty helped bring this Christmas program to life, resulting in an event that was one for the books.
To that end, we want to give a shout out to instructor Tim Beggs. He coached and sang with the 8th-10th grade boys and was a great asset in the organization of the program. Moreover, Dr. David-Paul and Dr. Michelle Zimmerman also participated in the Christmas program. They both sang with the 8th-10th grade cohort. This just proves that this was a Christmas program where all became a part of.
Another instructor who demonstrated her dedication to our students and school was Abby Zenk. She organized and started the bell choir that included students from the 7th-8th cohort and 8th-10th cohort. They performed three songs and committed to after school rehearsals. These students worked hard for several weeks to get ready for the program and learn the songs. Bravo!
Lastly, we cannot forget the contribution of our instructor Kayla Vrudny, who accompanied our students on the piano in most pieces.
“For me personally, it is always a joy when children come together to sing and make music together. Music is always a great opportunity to share the hope and message of Jesus’ birth, which the students did with through their own voices and video creations,” says Kayla.
We are thankful to all the instructors and coaches who worked daily with our students in preparing them for the Christmas program. This was truly a collaborative effort that resulted in an event that everyone enjoyed. If you are interested in having your child become a part of the Renton Prep family, contact us today.
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