McQuistion students belt out carols
BUTLER TWP — Thoughts of holiday carolers don't typically call up images of young students singing outside their school in the morning.
But that's what McQuistion Elementary School students saw as they got off school buses Wednesday morning. About 60 third and fourth graders were dressed in festive attire and singing songs like “Deck the Halls.”
The students were led by music teacher Carrie Persichini, who previously did the event with fifth and sixth graders before the district consolidation moved those grades to Butler Middle School.
Many of the students are younger siblings of students who were able to sing the carols before and were excited to be able to sing at an earlier age, Persichini said.
Peter Zulick, a third grader, was excited to sing and to welcome his classmates to school, according to his mother Debby Zulick, who joined other parents at the school to watch the Wednesday performance.
Persichini likes the shift to singing carols with younger students because they tend to be less shy and inhibited, which fifth and sixth graders often can be.
“They're more energizing and willing to be out there in front of their peers,” she said.
Being able to sing in a large group also helps with any possible stage fright, said Giavanna Tonini, a fourth grader. Tonini said she does not like to sing alone so she liked the opportunity to sing with her friends.
Addie Geibel, another fourth grader, simply loves the way the music sounds when there are more people singing.
“I like to sing with a bunch of people because then it's louder and that makes it better,” Geibel said, who said she had plenty of fun during the performance. “Like, 10 out of 10 fun.”
For third grader Zach Duffy, the best part was singing “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a song that had choreographed dance moves to accompany each day of Christmas.
Zach and Addie, who are neighbors, said they practiced together after school when they had the chance.Because Wednesday was the last school day before Christmas break at McQuistion, the students had a lot of energy and excitement, Persichini said.“(The performance is) a good way to get their excitement out in a positive way in the morning,” she said.Caitlin Tayman, also a fourth grader, immediately left the Christmas carol performance to sing on the announcements as a “mystery singer” surprise, so she cited being a little nervous.Persichini is glad to have younger students involved because she considers it a huge confidence boost for students. The fourth graders are now the oldest students at the school so this lets them be role models and leaders for the younger students, she said.These students are part of a new group at McQuistion, called the Music TEAM, Teaching Everyone Acceptance through Music, created by Persichini. The music program hopes to create a positive school community and has helped with the effects of consolidation, Persichini said.After the Butler School District closed five of the 11 elementary schools, students at Center Avenue and Meridian elementary schools moved to McQuistion, and Persichini said the new group has helped with that transition.The group has about 65 students in third and fourth grade, but there are no tryouts or mandatory performances.“This is just a really flexible group,” Persichini said. “Whoever is able to come can come.”The students also sang Christmas carols Dec. 18 to the residents at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Butler. The students plan to sing to the residents again in the spring as well, as soon as learn new songs, Persichini said.
