One of the things we most look forward to at St. Barnabas is the opportunity to celebrate the winter holidays with our students and their families. The Christmas season is a time of joy, peace, and anticipation. We love hearing Christmas carols in the halls and admiring the festive crafts our younger students create. But our Christmas season activities are about more than glittery ribbons and gifts; they’re also about the generosity and compassion that Christ’s birth represents.
This Advent season, like every one before it, we at St. Barnabas look forward to finding meaning together during our winter celebrations. We’ll do that by enjoying several holiday traditions – some in school, and some with our greater community. After all, holiday traditions in schools not only help keep the Christmas magic alive, but also give us an opportunity to bless others, practice the gratefulness Jesus taught, and be a light in the world.
Operation Christmas Child
As we sit around our Christmas trees and open gifts from friends and family, it’s important to remember that there are many who are not as fortunate. Operation Christmas Child is an organization that distributes shoeboxes full of gifts, along with the Good News of Christ, to children in impoverished countries. Each year, St. Barnabas collects boxes throughout the month of November. Last year, we collected 338!
Operation Christmas Child is not only a great opportunity to give, but also a chance for our students to reflect on the many blessings in their lives. As students build boxes with their families and discuss the items that the recipient might like to receive, they gain perspective that helps build both generosity and humility.
DeLand Christmas Parade
The Christmas Parade has been a favorite of the community for more than 70 years! We love how this event brings people of all backgrounds together for a festive celebration. St. Barnabas doesn’t just stand by and watch (although that’s definitely fun). Each year, we participate with our own float.
The DeLand Christmas Parade attracts thousands of people each year, making it a great opportunity to share our private school values with the greater community. As they march in the parade, our students learn to work together, spread the Good News, and let their lights shine.
We always have a lot of alumni, former staff and faculty, and family members show up to the parade, so it’s a lovely reminder of how a private education at St. Barnabas gives students a “second family” for life.
The Butler Express
If there’s one thing students can’t stop talking about as Christmas approaches, it’s this: a ride on the Butler Express. On one special day, all of our students (even the little ones) get to ride the Butler Express from school, through downtown DeLand, and back again. Talk about a memorable field trip!
We love watching the middle school students make new friends and bond over this festive experience. Each year, they talk about the past years’ rides and what has changed, creating an annual touchstone with shared meaning and joy.
Christmas Productions
Our Christmas Productions are such a warm, welcoming way to bring our school community together each December. If there’s one thing we love most, it’s that everyone gets involved. All students in all grades work together to share the message of Christ’s birth through stories, reading, singing, and acting. Each group has its own theme, which allows for plenty of creativity and growth.
Last year, our middle school students performed a lovely rendition of Carol and the Belles. We’ve also performed The Christmas Story, giving our students the chance to build their acting and movement skills as they play shepherds, angels, wise men, and others who bore witness to Christ’s miraculous birth.
Our Christmas Productions give family members an opportunity to see the skills our students are developing beyond the classroom. Their kindness, generosity, and faith are the highlights of the evening as they share the best message of all: Christ has been born in Bethlehem!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: At St. Barnabas, we offer a private education for the whole child. While we take this approach year-round, it becomes especially important during the Advent season when we, as a school community, look forward to the coming of Christ.
If you’re looking for a new school and would like to learn more about ours, we invite you to schedule a tour. Discover first-hand how a private education with a focus on faith, virtue, and excellence can benefit not only your child, but your whole family. We look forward to meeting you soon. Merry Christmas!