Dartmouth fourth graders have the annual winter concert

“Really, this concert is a gift to you,” a DeMello School fourth grader told the audience during the school's winter concert, “I’m sure you’ll agree once you hear us singing like absolute angels.”

The DeMello, Potter and Quinn Schools held their annual holiday concerts between Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Thursday, Jan. 15, entertaining family and friends after months of practice. 

“I think you are in for a treat this evening, “ said Quinn School Principal Audra Thomas. “They have been working so hard and are so excited to share it with you.”

Quinn School students performed on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The fourth graders performed the play “Penelope the Pink Nosed Puffin.”  In this, it's the final round of the Beak Bowl playoffs between the North Sea Puffins and the South Sea Penguins. However, all of the puffins have orange noses except for one.

About half of the children were wearing puffin decorated paper hats, about half were wearing penguin hats. Three of the ‘narrators’ were other types of birds and another was a dog. 

Puffins and penguins went back and forth answering questions, interspersed with songs.

All together, everyone’s speciality can create harmony.

DeMello School held their concert on Wednesday, Jan. 14, with students performing a number of holiday and Disney songs. 

“This was their time to shine, and we are so thrilled with how they did,” said Elizabeth Correia, the principal of the DeMello School. “Today’s concert has to be one of the best concerts I’ve seen the kids perform.”

Many songs had unique features. In “The Owl Sings” students used boomwhackers and hand drums to keep the beat. In “Hey, Ho, Nobody Home” the kids sang in rounds, each singing the same part by a few seconds apart so the sounds layered. The concert ended with “You’re Welcome” from Moana, with the kids screaming “You’re welcome!”

“It’s pretty fun,” said Eli’sha Oyebamiji from DeMello, 9. “I’m just glad, I’m grateful for our teachers and our principals.”

Oyebamiji said his favorite part was waving hello to everyone in the audience before the concert started. 

The George M. Potter School held their winter concert on Thursday, Jan. 15. The concert consisted of throwback songs, with many students having solos. 

“We have such talented fourth grade students,” said Melissa McHenry, the principal of the Potter School. “I appreciate the students who did solos … they were so brave.”

Throwbacks included everything from “Drag Me Down” by One Direction and “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors, to Disney songs such as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Dos Oruguitas,” which they sang in Spanish. They ended with “Take Me Home Country Roads.”

“I thought it was really fun, and I like singing and doing my announcement,” said Potter School student Claire Smola.

McHenry said that the end was her favorite, and it caused her to tear up at both the performance and dress rehearsal. 

“Potter is our home, so it connects with the message we try to get kids at school,” she said. 

At the end of this last concert, family and friends gave the fourth graders a standing ovation.