With the hissing of steam and the squeal of steel, the Polar Express recently made its way on a journey of wonder to Johnston’s schools. Hundreds of children, dressed in pajamas and nightgowns, each had a Golden Ticket for a ride they’ll never forget-a trip to the North Pole.

After they boarded the train they sang Christmas Carols and read Christmas Stories. They traveled throughout their schools, waving to their friends and teachers, through large crowds of elves and past their classrooms until they reached their destination, a visit with Santa.

For the nearly 200 kindergarteners of the Early Childhood Center, Wednesday was a very special day. After more than a month and a half of planning by the faculty and staff of the ECC, the school was transformed into a winter wonderland for the tots to enjoy. In keeping with tradition, the school put its best foot forward to provide memories that the children will always remember.

“As we know from years past this is a very exciting day for the kids. Just walking into the building today you can feel the excitement happening because the kids know something special is on track,” said Superintendent Dr. Bernard DiLullo, who served as the conductor for the ride and punched each student’s ticket with a special snowflake stamp. “My wishes are that they enjoy the holidays and have a good vacation, and that they continue to do as well as they have been doing academically.”

Students gathered in the main hall to wait for their turn to board the Polar Express as music teachers David Bergeron and George Paquette played Christmas music on piano and trumpet. They then picked up their cardboard train cars and made their way for an individual visit with Santa, who provided each child with one of his special sleigh bells, the first gift of Christmas.

“Today is our Polar Express celebration, Kim Marshall who is my art teacher here, organizes the day for the teachers and kids. We take a trip through Ferri Middle School, and Jacqueline Kent’s art class students there helped make the Polar Express cardboard train boxes for the children,” said ECC Principal Julie-anne Zarrella. “I hope that they can keep this Christmas magic. A little boy asked me if his bell could make him fly today, and it was just special.”

Kim Marshall explained that each child was specially dressed in their pajamas, just like in the famed Christmas story. She was thrilled by the magic she saw throughout the day.

“I hope that they remember to be kind and respectful to one another like they were today each and every day,” she said.

Graniteville stop

Perhaps The Graniteville School’s slogan, “where playing is learning and learning is fun” best described last Thursday evening’s rather unique and colorful Polar Express.

Proud parents, and many instances grandparents as well as aunts and uncles, boarded The Graniteville Express, the annual Polar Express, for what may have been the Johnston school’s best ever “Trip Around the World!”

In the middle of it all was Maria Petronio-McAfee, Edm. MA BS, Graniteville’s always-smiling and popular principal, who along with what she described as “our super special staff” put its best foot forward during the annual world-wide visit to places like Italy and Mexico, just to name a few countries.

Upon arrival at the school, children received a “Golden Ticket” to be used as they traveled from classroom to classroom visiting different parts of the world where they took in a number of unique holiday traditions.

“Buon Natale!” McAfee exclaimed while arriving in “Italy” for the Feast of the Seven Fishes with a long, narrow table that was adorned with special holiday settings.

“We have themes in each of the classrooms,” McAfee noted during a whirlwind tour that including stops by parents who congratulated the principal on another unique presentation. “And those titles are Hanukkah, Sweden and Saint Lucia, Buon Natale and the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Christmas in America and Christmas in Mexico.”

The final stop on this year’s Polar Express World Tour was the North Pole, where the children played Reindeer games and visited with Graniteville’s “first class” Santa Claus.

“This is always a super and special night,” one parent observed while enjoying the tasty Christmas cookies and hot cocoa. “Look; they even have a holiday marketplace for the children to purchase Christmas presents for family members.”

McAfee, who was again thrilled with the night’s successful outcome, said, “I’d like to offer a special thank you to the staff here at Graniteville School. They again supported this special event and made sure the children had fun.”

Thornton station

All aboard!

In keeping with tradition, that was the chant inside Thornton Elementary School last Friday night when parents, students and guests boarded the Panda Polar Express for a night of fun and games.

This year’s Panda Polar Express stopped everywhere imaginable where students and family members enjoyed seeing the making of Reindeer Food, many different ornaments at a Deer Food Station and of course visiting with the featured attraction, Santa Claus.

One of the event’s most unique happenings was the Holiday Bingo, the creation of Thornton teachers Stephani Rego and Erica Desmarais who had students seated in front of the train and placing pictures of train items on sheets instead of using numbers.

“In order to win,” Rego said while explaining the Holiday Bingo to several parents, “the students had to get five items in a row to claim bingo!”

The prizes were also unique, as the two Thornton teachers presented each winner with a special holiday pencil.

There were various activities and themes in different rooms, none though more crowded and sometimes overflowing than where Thornton Pandas star quietly writing a special letter to Santa Claus under the careful eyes of Elena D’Arezzo and Lisa McDonald.

In the middle of it all was Louis Denham, Thornton’s veteran principal, as well as teachers like Maria Colon and Tommy Iasimone, who may have been judged the winner of the best costume of the night, if there had been a contest.

Iasimone came decked out in a red and green elf outfit and made sure each and every student was having fun while ably assisting Santa Claus.