In Photos: Holiday Hoopla Sweeps Forest Ave

 students rang in the holiday season Friday night with "Holiday Hoopla,"an evening of concert music, crafts, cookies, and coloring.

With three weeks until Christmas, Santa also took time out of his busy schedule to gather some intell on what the Grade K-3 Middletown youngsters would like to find under their trees this holiday season.

The family event, organized by Parent-Teacher Group (PTG) President Liz Gilmore and Lori Loughlin, featured BINGO, a recorder and choral concert performed by third graders, and holiday crafts and card-making tables themed as "holidays around the world" for kids to learn about and celebrate different world cultures, Gilmore and Loughlin explained. Students made a dreidl, paper Qwanza chain, Russian stacking dolls, and Austrian lighting trees. Both kids and adults alike were also treated to a very long table filled with holiday cookies and festive treats.

Throughout the cafetorium, the halls and folded lunch tables were decked with pictures the kids had made.

"The students made all the decorations. That was their job," said PTG President Liz Gilmore.

The PTG also collected non-perishable food items for a food drive to benefit a local food pantry.