Honeybee Choir Delights Crowd at Blossom Hill Elementary School

The Honeybee Choir, made up of 99 first- and second-graders, performs Nov. 16-18 for friends and family in the 300-seat multi-purpose room.

It's the parent-run program's fourth year and its theme is "Journey Through Disneyland."

The audience is entertained with a sweet rendition of "It's a Small World" with children outfitted to represent the nations of the world, all under the direction of parents Nadia Temple, Kathy Bernat and producer Kerry Lindholm.

Tropical "Tiki Room" hula girls in grass skirts charm the crowd and aspiring pirates from the Caribbean belt out the words to "Yo-Ho-Yo-Ho, a Pirates's Life for Me," a favorite of the performers.

Parent volunteers built a set, painted scenery, sewed costumes and supervised many rehearsals.

Children attended weekly practices, beginning the second week of school, learning the lyrics of the songs and some speaking roles. Children sang in groups and as soloists, many experiencing, for the first time, the excitement of live performance.  

The Honeybee Choir started in 2008 when four Blossom Hill parents decided it was time to put together a singing program for first- and second-graders. Although the school offered choir opportunities for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, parents felt that the younger kids should have a program of their own.

Initially, parents anticipated about 35 kids would sign up for this extracurricular activity, but more than 80 did.

Each year, at least 86 kids have participated, performing four special shows. This year is the biggest group ever to participate and it's been an enormous undertaking for parents, organizers say.   

Parents helped a certain number of hours in some capacity. Temple said that this is a fine example of just how parent involvement in public schools makes a big difference in Los Gatos.