Blog

While we might not be ringing in the new year just yet, we are ringing in the Christmas season. On December 2nd, RAA made an appearance at Barnes & Noble in Citrus Plaza in Redlands to bring back a fundraiser we haven't seen since before COVID-19. While members of our staff read stories in the children's section, drawing small crowds of eager listeners, NHS (National Honor Society) students put their wrapping skills to the test, skillfully wrapping gifts near the door.

Meanwhile, our Bellissimo group opened December with their first Christmas music performance. Entering in through the double front doors, our students, decked out in lights and holding their bells, played their first song as they walked to the bell tables. The unsuspecting bystanders did double takes as the bells paraded past them, wrapping them in music. As the Bellissimo members reached their spots at the tables, a crowd gathered to hear more of the music that "embodied the essence of the season", as one cashier stated.

Parents held up their phones to take pictures and videos of the performance and bystanders gathered to watch and listen as well. Watching bystanders peek around the bookshelves to see what was happening and then join the crowd was such a fun experience. The Bellissimo group will continue to spread holiday cheer by performing in the Redlands Christmas parade. In addition, our 8th graders have been spreading joy around campus by caroling with their bells.