Catawba Heights Elementary School

The elementary school that I attended in the 60s was small.  I can remember some of the activities that our school did but what I remember most are Christmases.  In the 1st grade, we went to the local radio station and sat on the floor in a big room.  Santa spoke to us from the North Pole over the intercom.  Later we had cookies and an orange drink.  For our party at school, the grade mothers fixed little ceramic mugs that were shaped like Santa faces.  Inside were a few pieces of chocolate and a candy cane.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we drew pictures to hang in our classroom and in the hall.  We didn't skip our math and spelling lessons but we made time for art projects. 

The year I was in the 5th or 6th grade, we had a Christmas program for the school and parents.  I can still remember some of the songs we sang.  One was 'Pablo the Reindeer' and the girls who sang it wore 'antlers' on their head.  The antlers were actually branches from a silver Christmas tree that was popular back in the 60s.  We enjoyed singing any song that had movement such as 'Rudolph the red nosed reindeer'.  I'm not sure if teachers now are allowed to do some of the things we did years ago.  It would be a shame if kids couldn't learn the words or motions to 'Must Be Santa'. 

Christmas is such a magical time of year and I hope my CHES 1966-1972 classmate's memories are as good as mine.  Merry Christmas!