On Thursday, December 16, the joyful tradition of Winterfest played out for only the second time in the Berman Athletics Center. The entire school was able to enter the Berman gym division-by-division for a presentation that highlighted the many beautiful aspects of the AFS community—a tradition that has been going strong at our school for over 25 years.

Emcees Sanaa Nicholson ’22 and Clay Lewis ’22 led the crowd through a program that was inclusive of winter holidays and celebrations such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, Lunar New Year and Epiphany. Throughout the program, musical selections from the strings ensemble, jazz band, chamber singers and concert choir played a selection of tunes that connected to everyone’s holiday spirit.

Upper School actors performed meaningful pieces for the crowd including “The Fire That Would Not Burn” from the Advanced Acting Ensemble, which illustrated how light is sparked when we give without expecting to receive. Head of School Rich Nourie and Lower School Music Teacher Keisha Hutchins Hirlinger delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Song of Peace” before introducing the traditional Winterfest Poem.

Upperclassmen then lined up in front of the full student body and faculty, displaying colorful posters as they recited the poem—a classic event at AFS.