The elementary grades at Arcola School put on a Christmas concert at both 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 18.
The pre-K to grade five classes performed Survival Santa to a large audience of family, friends, and the older students of the school.
In the play Santa (Nakota Kennedy) is one million dollars over budget in Christmas production. For Santa to raise the money he needs to compete in the reality television show Survival, which is being produced this year at the North Pole.
In order to make their odds even better Santa enlists Rudolph (Mason Johnston) to join the game as well, since the elves are busy working for the holiday season and can't take time off. Both are chosen to participate on the show Santa with the Hollyberriez consisting of Roger (Easton Robitaille), Tina (Trinity Boulet), and Gerri (Ashley Devins). Rudolph was then placed on the Mistletoze with Kelly (Kinnon Rolufs), Richard (Jake Slykhuis), and Jay (Connor Bryce), the rival tribes on the show this year.
Challenges the two groups must compete for immunity include stocking filling, candy cane hanging, snowball tossing, and sleigh pulling.
As contestants were eliminated they slowly realized that letting Santa win the million dollars would make many people happy and would be best for everyone. In the end all agreed they would end the game to let Santa and Rudolph get back to the North Pole to ready everything for Christmas.
Elves were played by Austin Fleck, Alicia Fleck, Telia Dolphin, Gracie James, and Noel Knox. Reindeer were played by Brady Bell, Kindred Watcheston, Dorian Bourne, Brody Geddes, Tucker Eaton, J'Naya Cunningham, Tyson McLaren, Connor Bryce, and Seth Petzel.
The game show hosts were Shae-Lynne Johnston and Molly Vert.
Interspersed throughout the play were performances by all of the classes. The Kindergarten's sang "Reindeer Love to Boogie," grade ones performed "Fill My Stocking," Pre-Kindergarten's sang "I am a Candy Cane Kid," the grade fives performed "Santa Claus is Cool," "Snow Day" was performed by the grade twos, and "Snowboardin' Santa" was done by the grade three/four class.
They ended the performance with all of the students clambering onto the stage for "Working Together/Friends" the finale of the play after which the group decides to give Santa the money.
Altogether they then sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."
The performance brought many laughs and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
