“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Kids enjoyed the fun side of Christmas Wednesday afternoon at Montgomery Bank’s Kid’s Club Christmas Party.
Complete with Cindy Lou from Whoville and Monty Max, kids had an opportunity to play games, make a very special Grinch-colored Christmas ornament to take home, enjoyed treats and snacks. In addition, a “friend” of the Grinch – Scott Nelson – read the story “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss.
The kids had an opportunity to chat a bit with a very special visitor – Santa Claus himself! Santa made a very special visit to Montgomery Bank in Dexter to be on hand for the holiday party.
The kids had a grand time at the party - just a taste of the excitement of Christmas!!
By Annabeth Miller, SMT Editor
The Gingerbread Girl is one smart cookie!
And she has a bunch of neat friends … the Animal Crackers. But they had better all watch out, or they will all become treats for the trickster fox.
The youngsters who attended Story Hour this week at Keller Public Library got to hear all about the Gingerbread Girl from Tracy Horton and Christy Dorton, who were the guest readers.
Horton and Dorton also had a Christmas craft ready for the young patrons – a Gingerbread boy and girl ornament ready to hang from their holiday trees at home. And don’t tell the Gingerbread Girl, but gingerbread treats and animal crackers were served as a treat!
Tuesday’s Story Hour is the last of the year at Keller Public Library. There will not be a Story Hour next week, Dec. 27 or on Tuesday, Jan. 3. But the popular Story Hour program will begin again at 10:15 a.m., Tuesday, Jan 10. The schedule for January 2013 includes a host of guest readers and fun books for children:
- Jan. 10 - Cheryl Boggess & Tracy Gant present "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow"!
- Jan. 17 - John William Ringer presents 'Watch Out For Dinosaurs"!
- Jan. 24 - Belinda Worley presents "Pinkalicious"!
- Jan. 31 - Shirley Crow Stephens presents "Groundhog Day
Story Hour is a free program for young children at Keller Public Library in Dexter.
Photo Above: Tracy Horton of County Wide Insurance and Christy Dorton were the guest readers this week at Story Hour at the Keller Public Library, reading the Christmas story "The Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers."
ShowMe Times Gallery
Father Christmas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle ... it seems like our modern-day Santa Claus has more names than he knows what to do with.
Confusing? Not to worry -- short-explanatory-film-maker C. G. P. Grey saves the day with his brief video history of the origin of "jolly Saint Nick."
When Europeans settled the American colonies, all the European versions of St. Nick and Father Christmas and the other characters began to mix together. Which can be one reason why the same jolly fellow is known by so many names by folks young and old.
Santa Claus is the Americanization of Sinterklaas, but he’s also called St Nick and Father Christmas and Kris Kringle which comes from Germany.
Many of us may have a vision of Santa as the fellow in the soft drink advertisements or in the storybook “The Night Before Christmas.” But no matter what, one thing is certain – Santa Claus brings joy to youngters and a smile to the faces of older folks each year.
Photo Above: Santa visited Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter recently, and brightened the holiday for Andrew and Anna Ellinghouse and dozens of other youngsters. (Photo courtesy of Missouri Southern Healthcare)
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.”
