• PetershamMontessoriChristmas-ADN-122123,ph1
    Petersham Montessori has hosted events at the Petersham Congregational Church for 15 years. The school has been using the Peace Candle to honor Maria Montessori’s peace education efforts and encourage reflection and gratitude since the Montessori Day of Peace in October.
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    A surprise punctuated the Christmas songs as a mini Santa popped out on stage during the Petersham Montessori School’s celebrations on Dec. 15 and 18 at the Petersham Orthodox Congregational Church.
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    Families gathered in the church community room for refreshments. Ellen and Jamey Toner’s daughters, Sonya and Rebecca, attend Petersham Montessori School. Their grandparents, Ann and Ted Turner, and aunt, Sarah Turner, are pictured on the left.

PETERSHAM—Christmas traditions and community gatherings enriched the Petersham Montessori School’s celebrations on Friday, Dec. 15 and Monday, Dec. 18, at Petersham Orthodox Congregational Church.

Students took turns at the center stage at the annual Christmas Pageant on Friday, showcasing the “Pledge of Allegiance” and approximately 10 Christmas-themed songs. The “Reindeer Poke” and a “S-A-N-T-A” version of the “B-I-N-G-O” song prompted much laughter and buoyant energy.

Later, students in the roles of Mary and Joseph traveled through the audience, reenacting the search for an inn on the night of Jesus’ birth. Head Teacher Cheryl Calcari, impressed at the students’ dedication to their performances, noted, “Having a very young group could have had them running to (their) parents or crying. They were troopers and did what they had practiced so hard to do.”

On Monday, Dec. 18, several families returned to the church for cookie decorating, hot cocoa, and crafts. This was Petersham Montessori’s first Cookie Decorating event, and it is part of the school’s efforts to rebound from the isolation and constraints of COVID-19 and increase parent involvement and community-mindedness. The event provided attending students with one last opportunity to craft and run around with each other before vacation. Petersham Montessori School wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Peaceful and Happy New Year.