HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-12-24, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008.
When the holidays roll around,
Hullett Central Public School
principal Joy Antoniuk tries to bring
the closeness of family around
Christmas to work with her every day.
Antoniuk initiated a Christmas
gathering among the staff of Hullett
Central last year, which she says was
very well-received. In addition to
attempting to draw the staff closer
around the holidays, Antoniuk does
the same with the students. There are
a variety of activities and initiatives
that occur around Christmas at Hullett
Central that get students excited for
Christmas, but also remind them that
the holidays are a time to give as well
as receive.
Last year Antoniuk hosted the staff
Christmas social and buffet at the
school. She had hoped to host it at her
home, however transportation issues
arose due to the weather and the
distance that would have to be
travelled, as Antoniuk lives in
London.
She plans to revisit the concept
again this holiday season.
Another great opportunity to unite
the community during the holidays is
the school’s annual Christmas
concert.
Antoniuk looks forward to the
event every year, viewing it as a
perfect chance to have members of
the community in the same room as
the area’s students as well as its
educators. The school’s parent
advisory council will often supply
refreshments to encourage people to
spend more time at the school and
meeting others in their community.
When it comes to charity, Antoniuksays she likes to see the school asinvolved in the community as it canbe. She said that many of the school’scharitable contributions were alreadyin place by the time she took over as
principal, like contributions to the
Huron County Christmas Bureau as
well as collecting for the local food
bank, so she hasn’t made many
changes. She is, however, happy to be
a part of a school with such deep
charitable roots. Many of the
initiatives, she says, are student-
driven, which makes her very proud.
If she could change anything for
this upcoming holiday season, she
said, it would be to give more and to
recognize the need locally of families
this winter with economic uncertaintyclouding the airwaves.“I think that now, more than ever,we should keep our eye on thefamilies that are in need and how wecan help them,” she says. “The
traditions at this school had already
been well-established by the time I
got here. The characteristics of this
school during the holidays are
fantastic.”
Antoniuk has a solid set of holiday
traditions herself. Coming from a
household that was half-Canadian and
half-Ukrainian, she says her holidays
were wrapped in tradition, but that it
was a healthy mix of both
backgrounds.
There was often a wealth of
Ukrainian food on the table aroundChristmas, items like cabbage rollsand chicken on a stick.Currently, her brother hostsChristmas every year, holding anopen house on Christmas Eve, which
the whole family attends. There is a
small gift exchange where everyone
opens their gift one at a time.
When she was younger, she says,
she would attend Christmas Eve
mass, and now, she always eats her
Christmas dinner with her in-laws.
For Antoniuk, however, her solid
foundation of tradition doesn’t stop
on Christmas. Another thing you can
count on annually with Antoniuk is
Boxing Day shopping, which she says
she does every year.
Christmas gathering brings school ‘family’ closer
Greetings
Hullett Central Public School
principal Joy Antoniuk thinks
it’s important for the students
to enjoy themselves during the
holiday season as well as the
staff. She organizes a
Christmas function to bring the
staff closer together around the
holidays. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
MM ee rr rr yy CC hh rr ii ss tt mm aa ss
Wishing you and your family peace & happiness
Throughout this Holiday Season!
Seated(L to R): Larry McGrath, Deputy Mayor Bernie MacLellan, Mayor Joe Seili,
Alvin McLellan, Joe Steffler
Standing(L to R): Bill Siemon, Frank Stretton, Orval Bauer, Bob Fisher,
David Blaney, Andrew Flowers, Les Falconer
from the council and staff of
Municipality of Huron East
(NC)—The holidays are a great
time to demonstrate your decorating
creativity – from hanging lights and
wreaths outside, trimming the tree
and setting the holiday table.
Whether you are planning an
intimate dinner with just a few
friends, or a great big family feast
complete with grandparents, cousins
and children, the holiday table is at
the heart of the celebration.
“You can make a strong statement
and set the mood of your party
through your table setting,” says
Jenifer Cass, marketing manager for
Corelle.
“With so many choices, the key is
to focus on one overall theme and
select the accessories and tableware
that bring it to life.”
Cass shares her tips to create two
classic holiday table settings:
What’s Red and Green and
Holiday all over?
A big family with lots of kids calls
for a traditional holiday table of red
and green.
• Layer red and green table linens to
create a festive look; then use
contrasting napkins, in white or
gold, to create visual interest
• Make the table pop with themed
dinnerware
• Place a holiday cracker at each
place setting to add some fun to the
table
• Select a traditional centrepiece
such as a wreath but use different
height candles in the centre or
create a focal point with large glass
vases filled with holly and pretty
tree ornaments.
Dreaming of a White Christmas
A grown-up party demands
something more elegant like a snowy
white table that puts your guests in
the middle of a winter wonderland.
• Create this clean and crisp look
with pure white table linens and
napkins
• Patterned dinnerware provides a
stylish and elegant backdrop to
each table setting.
• Include lots of sparkle with crystal
glassware and perfectly polished
flatware to add texture and interest
• Finish the look with a centrepiece
of fresh flowers such as amaryllis,
roses or poinsettias – in white of
course!
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Put your best table forward