A Time for Music and Joy: Student Santa Assembly Review
January 3, 2020
Wrapped Christmas presents of all sorts of toys line the stage as students assembled in the auditorium for the student Santa assemblies throughout the morning of December 19, 2019.
The assemblies celebrated the hard work students, teachers, and administration put into helping out community members in need. The attendees of the assembly were treated to choral and orchestra concerts, showcasing Waltham High’s most up-and-coming performers.
Among these performers was the remarkable violinist and Waltham High senior, Gace Belsie. She graced the attendees with Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto from the Four Seasons Suite, dazzling the crowd with her fast-paced strokes of the bow and the beautiful, perfectly achieved notes. The audience was transported into a trance-like state, mesmerized by the beauty of the performance. Ms. Belsie received a booming round of applause, “whoops,” and whistles from the audience, who were visibly moved by the heartfelt, intense performance. Commenting on Ms. Belsie’s spot-on performance, Elizabeth Shepard, a sophomore, exclaimed, “She did absolutely phenomenal!”
Along with the concerto, the show choir gave the audience another noteworthy performance, their very own rendition of the gospel song “We Three Kings.” The harmonious voices of Music Unlimited Waltham High’s competitive, selective show choir team lifted spirits with round after round of heavenly riffs of “We Three Kings” belted out over the speaker system. The catchy rhythm and bewitching melody rang in the hands of all who heard the chorus. “They were truly amazing,” a Waltham student commented. “The solos were so good.”
To finish off the festivities, the students, teachers, and staff were all encouraged to participate in a sing-along with the chorus and band up on stage. Concert-goers of all ages sang their favorite holiday tunes with delight and glee as if they all were little children again.
As “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” played, the auditorium lit up with holiday cheer and joy.
After a few short remarks from Mr. Douglas Trudeau, the Director of the Fine Arts department, the assembly was over. The students shuffled back to their classrooms, chatting excitedly with one another about the break and the upcoming holidays. Teachers directed students to the exits, and soon enough the auditorium was empty, all except for the gifts, a beacon of hope, a sign of community, and a crucial source of happiness to children in need all around Waltham.
This assembly showcased the best artists of Waltham High and represents the spirit of the winter holidays — community, giving, and joy– all of which are encouraged and celebrated through the Student Santa program and assembly at Waltham High School.
