On December 23rd, Otselic Valley students and staff gathered in the afternoon to celebrate Winterfest with games, performances, and plenty of school spirit. The celebration began in the gym with Reindeer Games, where students from all grade levels participated in a variety of activities, including volleyball, basketball relay, balloon toss, snowball fights, reindeer antler challenges, and freeze dance. The gym was filled with energy as students cheered one another on and enjoyed some friendly competition. Winterfest continued in the Multi-Purpose Room with class challenges. Students in grades 6–12 each selected a holiday song and performed for the school. Performances included favorites such as Jingle Bells, Jingle Bell Rock, Let It Go, and Santa Baby. After much deliberation by the judges, the senior class was named the winner. One of the most memorable moments of the day occurred during the Reindeer Games, when the seniors were preparing to face the juniors in volleyball and were unexpectedly interrupted by Mr. Gross, who introduced a mystery Santa. The surprise guest turned out to be Manuel Gonzalez-Lantaron, a former Spanish exchange student who attended OV two years ago. Dressed as Santa, Manuel surprised the senior class and joined in the festivities, much to the excitement of students who were thrilled to see him back at OV. A short video of Manuel’s surprise entrance can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/I_ocIgmhvW0 We also captured a few class challenge performances: • 6th Grade Performance: https://youtu.be/r8PXQkbAvho • 7th Grade Performance: https://youtu.be/0xawNM713OI Thank you to our staff for organizing a fun and memorable Winterfest, and to our students for making the last day before break such a great one.