Officially welcoming the winter season, the students and teachers of California Avenue School played hosts to their parents, grandparents and family friends as they performed this year’s Winter Program. Festivities were on Friday, Dec. 11 at the elementary school.

The standing room audience in a jam-packed cafeteria heard 14 classes and groups perform seasonal songs, some in English, some in Spanish, throughout the morning. The program started with the youngest students, ending with the oldest.

Mrs. Payvar’s class sang “Must Be Santa,” then was joined by Mrs. Jimenez’s class to sing “Feliz Navidad.” The second class then sang “Sole el Invierno” alone.

The classes of teachers Mrs. Piper, Miss Perry and Mrs. Torres joined together for “Up on the Housetop,” and “Sleigh Bells Poem.”

Mrs. Insurriaga and Mrs. Ramos joined for “Invierno Esta Llangando,” Then students of Mrs. Napoli, Ms. Lopez and Mrs. Clark got together for “Jingle Bells.”

Mrs. Camarena and Mrs. Cipriano’s classes combined for “Rudolph Hokey Pokey.”

“I Ain’t Gettin' Nothin' For Christmas” was the song performed by students in the classroom of Mrs. Alaniz, while classes of Mrs. Casteneda, Ms. K, Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Price joined for “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Mrs. Blythe, Ms. Oliveira and Ms. Studebaker’s classes sang “Let It Snow.”

Rounding out the program was Ms. Bartholomew and Ms. Avery’s classes singing “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree,” then Mrs. Hansen’s class sang “We Are Santa’s Elves.”

Next up was Mr. Beatty’s class with “So This Is Christmas,” then the holiday program was finished off by Ms. Luna’s class which sang “Feliz Navidad.”

The program was so well attended that the cafeteria was jammed to the walls with standing room only parents. Several times, staff members asked those in the crowd who had already seen their children perform to yield up their seats so others could sit down to watch their older students.