– Lynn Hess
After Thanksgiving, our focus in Music class is on Christmas. We sing fun songs, like “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, during which we clap, jump and twirl to a variety of verses; and “Jingle Bells”, when we imagine what it must be like to ride in a one horse open sleigh (and, of course, we play bells). All of our fun songs evoke smiles, movement and joy.
We continue with “Go Tell it on the Mountain”, combining a mixture of hand motions and sign language. The most touching part is the last chorus, when I tell the children to use their big (not yelling) voices so others beyond the classroom can hear us. The result is a beautiful collection of young voices owned by beaming children, who understand that the good news of Jesus’ birth is to be shared.