Conesville celebrates Christmas around the world
CONESVILLE − Students at Conesville Elementary School spent the week before winter break celebrating Christmas in unique ways.
This included a special visit from noted children's author and illustrator Richard Cowdrey on Wednesday. He did a draw along with students in the school's gymnasium and presented a slideshow on his life. Students were also able to buy books in advance and have Cowdrey sign them.
The Cincinnati native is best known for his books about Fiona the hippo and Marley the dog. He's also done the holiday related books "The Legend of the Candy Cane," "The Legend of St. Nicholas," "The Legend of the Christmas Cookie" and "The Christmas Baby."
Cowdrey now lives in Mount Vernon and previously did presentations for students at Warsaw Elementary School and the now closed Union Elementary.
Since he works alone in a studio, he enjoys the interaction with kids and hearing their feedback. Cowdrey said youth will often mail him pictures they've drawn or little books they've made by hand.
"It's the old giving back or paying it forward notion," Cowdrey said of going into schools. "I had people who inspired and helped me along the way. When these opportunities started arising, even though I really didn't want to stand up in front of people and speak, I felt it was a good opportunity to encourage kids. Especially the gifted kids who might not be the star student or star athlete."
Wednesday afternoon also featured cookie decorating in the cafeteria and a candy cane pipe cleaner holiday craft and games in the gym. The Grinch and Santa Claus also visited. Grades mixed so, for example, sixth grade students helped first-graders to make their candy canes or ice their cookies.
Earlier in the week there were demonstrations from the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit and martial arts by Jon McFarland. This included students who take classes with McFarland showing off their skills to classmates.
There was also a Christmas Around the World unit. Students rotated within their grade level to learn about how different countries or regions around the world celebrate Christmas, such as Belize, China, Germany and Italy. Students had passports marked when they would learn about the different countries.
Principal Jarred Renner said students learned the history of each country, how to find it on a map and traditions they have that are different from those in the U.S.
Renner said the three days before winter break was a good time for some outside presentations and thinking outside the box for learning opportunities.
"In the elementary school world that's always hectic and crazy," Renner said of a short week. "We wanted to organize our celebrations a little bit and have some fun for the kids and bring in some things we can't bring in at other times of the year when we might be too busy or have testing going on."
This is the last year for Conesville Elementary School. It and Keene Elementary will be closing at the end of the school year as part of district reconfiguration. Preschool to second grade will be at Warsaw Elementary and third to sixth grades will be at the current junior high building. Junior high students will be moved to the high school building.
Renner said they've sold shirts and ornaments commemorating the building with the years 1916 to 2023 on them. A year end open house is also being planned for May 6 across the district.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Conesville celebrates Christmas around the world
