This Grinch Didn't Steal Christmas!!
Today (Tuesday) is an important day for the students at Southwest Elementary in Dexter ... it's the day before the beginning of Christmas break! And the first grade youngsters were having "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" day -- complete with a quartet of kids who dressed as characters from the favorite Dr. Suess Christmas book. Kaylie Farmer, Sophia Tate and Ava Markham were all a part of the Who family - and Grant Ayers was a happy Grinch! The students are in Krisi Twaddell's first grade class. Tuesday is the last day of the second quarter. The students will report back to classes on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. (SMT Photo by Annabeth Miller)
By Andrew Cato, SMT Writer
The Dexter Show Choir will be performing Christmas Carols for the public on Dec. 22. The group of 32 students, under the direction of recently-retired DHS choir teacher MaryRuth Boone, have been selling the ‘Singing Christmas Cards’ in an effort to raise funds for the annual Dexter Show Choir performance trip.
“I’ve always tried to provide different ways for students to make money for their ‘trip of the year’ for Show Choir,” Boone said. “This is just one way, but probably the best because it’s 100 percent profit for the students.”
In recent years, the group has performed at Disney World in Flordia, to New Orleans, La., and this past summer toNew York City.
In Branson, the group will be performing at Silver Dollar City, as the opening act for The Haygoods show, and on the showboat Branson Belle.
“Carols are $10 each, so if a student sells ten of them, they pay for their monthly payment,” Boone said. “Next year, the kids are going to Hawaii, so anything they sell over the cost of the Branson trip will go towards that.”
Boone started the Show Choir as another avenue for her students to express their creativity and perform onstage. The group had humble beginnings, and was closely associated with Dexter High School's choral music program in the early years. The group mainly performed during the annual ‘Pop Concert’ extravaganza, but Boone decided it was time for the group to break out and perform in other venues.
“I’ve done it for at least ten years,” Boone added. “When we started, it was associated with the school, but once we started going on trips, I decided to not have it be sponsored by the school so they didn’t have that liability.”
Boone noted the importance of community involvement for the group of high school students, and the joy this activity brings to those who receive carols.
“It’s a very good community activity; the kids get out and visit a lot of people,” she said. “We usually go to the nursing homes and the hospital and sing, so the kids get out in the community and get to visit with a lot of people that they normally wouldn’t see, and provide a service to the community. We always have a lot of fun with it.”
By Annabeth Miller, SMT Editor
Everyone is all in a panic at the North Pole. The dancing reindeer are "hoofin' it," but don't know what to do with Rudolph and his four left hooves. The elves are tired of always getting the short end of the stick and are singin' the blues. The snowmen are "chillin," but worried about the funky hot lights, and the toys are trying to do the entire Nutcracker Suite in three minutes.
But wait! In all of this confusion, Santa Claus finds a way to remind us all about the true meaning of the season. Good ol’ Santa!
The fifth grade students at Central Elementary told this story in the annual holiday musical, “North Pole Musical.” In addition, the Songmakers fifth grade chorus joined to make an evening of delightful holiday entertainment.
The students, under the direction of Central music teacher Delisa Sitz presented the evening of entertainment to a packed house on Thursday, Dec. 15. Songmakers chorus was accompanied on the piano by MaryRuth Boone. In addition, the students performed for their peers in afternoon performances on Wednesday and Thursday.
ShowMe Gallery
According to the National Association of Realtors® in collaboration with Houselogic, there are five ways you can keep home-based holiday crimes at bay.
Be Cyber-wise.
- Avoid posting to your multitude of family and friends on Facebook that you will be gone over the holidays or that you received an awesome, expensive gift. Cyber-savvy crooks could view this information and target your home for a break-in.
- Accept only people you know as friends and followers on social media sites.
- Limit the sharing of personal information online.
Lock your doors.
This seems like a “no-brainer,” but security company ADT says 40 percent of all burglaries are termed as “no force entries.” This means the thieves gain entry through unlocked doors and windows.
- Check and lock all doors and windows.
- Use your deadbolt (if you have one).
Don’t give vandals a chance to act.
- If you enjoy turning your front lawn into a winter wonderland, be aware that vandals can decide on a spur of the moment to destroy your property or steal expensive lawn decorations and lighting.
- Install motion detector lights on all sides of your house and make sure they’re visible from the road, if possible.
Deny easy access to the garage.
- Avoid keeping your garage door opener in your car where clever thieves can get to it to gain easy access to your expensive tools and lawn equipment.
- Don’t use your garage as a hiding place for gifts.
- Make sure your garage door is closed and locked, as well as any side doors.
Display the tree, not the gifts.
It’s exciting to have a beautifully decorated tree in the front picture window for all to see and difficult to refrain from placing the festive gifts under it. When you’re not at home potential thieves can see not only your tree through your front window, but all the gorgeous, expensive gifts as well.
- Don’t put your gifts out until Christmas Eve.
- Dispose of product boxes at a recycling center and not in your garbage cans.
We give and receive them during this special holiday season. But what do you really know about the poinsettia?
There are many things that are true about the poinsettia, says Dexter florist Kim Norman.
- It’s a native of Mexico – True
- In nature, poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow up to ten feet tall – True
- The showy, colored parts of poinsettia, which most people think are the flowers, are actually colored bracts or modified leaves – True
- The actual flowers, or cyathia, of the poinsettia are in the center of the colorful bracts – True
“There is one common belief, however, that is not true. Despite the urban legend that the poinsettia is toxic, this is absolutely false,” Norman said. Norman and Daryl Ramsey are with Locust Street Flowers in Downtown Dexter.
Norman suggests four main features to watch when bringing poinsettias into the home or workplace.
“Four keys for keeping poinsettias are simple: light, heat, water and humidity,” she said.
Light - Place it near a sunny window. South, east or west facing windows are preferable to a north facing window. “Poinsettias are tropicals and will appreciate as much direct sunlight as you can provide,” Norman said.
Heat - To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 - 75 degrees F. during the day. Dropping the temperature to about 60 degrees F. at night will not hurt the plant. But cold drafts or allowing the leaves to touch a cold window can injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop.
Water - Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Norman said to water the poinsettia until it drains out the bottom, but don’t let the plant sit in water. Wilting is another common cause of leaf drop. A wilted plant can be revived and salvaged, but it will take another season to improve its appearance.
Humidity - Lack of humidity during dry seasons, in particular winter, is an ongoing houseplant problem. If your home tends to be dry and your poinsettia is in direct light, you will find yourself watering frequently, possibly every day.
“Poinsettias are beautiful plants, and they really are a favorite during the holiday season. A little bit of ‘tender loving care’ will keep them pretty throughout the holidays,” she said.
Photo Above: Kim Norman and Daryl Ramsey of Locust Street Flowers in Downtown Dexter say four things are key to keeping poinsettia plants pretty during the holidays. (SMT Photo by Annabeth Miller)
