HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-12-22, Page 36Brussels Public School recently
held its final Christmas Concert as
the school is slated to close at the
end of the 2011/2012 school year
and have its student body
amalgamated with other schools.
Organizers and teachers Jose
Gillespie and Warren Wray,
however, wanted the students to have
that be the farthest thing from their
mind when putting together this
year’s concert. “We were trying to not focus onthis being the last year for theconcert,” Gillespie said. “We wanted
to keep it as normal as possible.”
“We may have been more serious
than previous years, like last year’s
was funnier, and this year had its
cute and light moments but it was a
bit serious.”
This year’s performance was more
focused on music rather than a
theatrical story according to the duo.
“There was more music and a lot
less lines,” Wray said. “We had towork a bit on the transitions to fiteverything in, and there was a lotmore coming and going than
normal.”
Gillespie said that, with the
message of the play being focused
on kindness and giving, the students
really liked it.
“The kids connected with the story
and the music,” she said. “It was all
about love and caring and sharing
and they really seemed to pick up on
that.”
Part of why the students were able
to connect with the music could have
been the lateral movement the
classes were offered by the play.
“The kids chose what worked for
them to sing,” Gillespie said. “We
even had the Grade 2 class fit in their
favourite song from music class,
‘Grandma’s Pyjamas’, into the play.”
As is tradition the play featured
the Junior Kindergarten through
Grade 4/5 classes.
“It’s a school decision to focus on
Continued from page 16
economy.
“At one time Blyth was a service
centre for farmers because people
did things locally,” he said. “They
came here for feed and grain and that
was the reason for Blyth’s existence.
“With people being able to travel
further, there isn’t a need to have
each village be a one-stop centre, so
the stores don’t stay.”
Vodden also stated that, in 1940,
every store on main street supported
between one and five families,
which is a very different model than
the downtown of today.
Now stores will support the
owners and maybe help support one
other family according to Brock.
“I remember once, for example, in
1947, when we were isolated for an
entire week in the early part of the
year,” he said. “The snow drifts were
so high you could walk on them and
look down at the hydro poles.”
Vodden said that, while the village
was completely cut off from the
surrounding area, people continued
to go about their lives because they
lived and worked in the same area.
That kind of attitude and that kind of
commerce is what led to local
businesses being such an important
part of Christmas.
Another big difference between
Christmas in Blyth in the past and
now is the arrival of Santa Claus,
according to Vodden.
“Santa came to Blyth by the train,”
he said. “He would arrive at the
Dinsley Street station and there
would be a parade from the train
station to Memorial Hall.”
His arrival was a big event
according to Vodden.
“We would go to the hall and see
Santa,” he said. “Local firemen
would give out oranges and candy to
the children and that was really
special.”
Oranges weren’t as common
during that time and, for some
children, it could be the only time
they would see them during the year.
Other snacks that would only show
up in the village during Christmas
were nuts and Christmas baking.
“It was a very special time of the
year,” Vodden said. “Most of it was
focused on the festival aspects of the
season.”
He stated that Christmas was
really a time for family to get
together, but that there was usually a
tough choice to make there.
“For us we went to one pair of
grandparents one year and the other
the next,” Vodden said. “It was just
too much travel otherwise.”
Family ties are another change
that has occurred which has led to
Christmas being less centred in the
home, and thus taken farther away
from the hometown.
“When I was young, people
wouldn’t travel much, but they
would try and come home for
Christmas,” he said. “They would
travel home whenever they could
and that would sometimes lead to
people returning home that I had
never met before. They would all
come home though to visit the shops
they shopped at before they moved
away.”
Br-br-break it down
Greg Manley of Brussels Public School proves he has mad
rhyming skills during a rap about wrapping paper during the
school’s Dec. 14 Christmas concert. (Denny Scott photo)
PAGE 36. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2011.Teachers keep last Brussels concert ‘normal’
Vodden remembers
main street holiday
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Continued on page 37