It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. For the first time in three years of virtual and hybrid events, the whole school gathered in the High School to celebrate the start of the Christmas season in community. And for the first time, it snowed in the High School Plaza!

HKIS students enjoying a photo opp with Torch and the first "snowfall" in the high school plaza!

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is hosted by the Head of School and the Advancement Office and is one of the most beloved events of the year. With close to 300 student musicians from Upper Primary, Middle School, and High School performing in the band, orchestra, and choirs, it was a musical extravaganza.

The evening started out with the nativity play, acted out by JOY Club (the Primary School Christian Club), grounding the event to point to the Christian reason for the season. The “host of angels” included administrators from Lower and Upper Primary, who twirled on stage like pros.

Full house! It was great to be able to host the event fully in-person this year and celebrate with the HKIS community.

At one point, Lower Primary Principal and Master of Ceremony Geoff Heney changed out of his Christmas sweater into a red sequined show jacket and rocked the crowd with an impromptu singalong of Jingle Bells. The performances culminated with a wonderful Christmas carol medley led by the High School Strings and three choirs circling the plaza, at which time “snow” began to fall.

The lighting of the tree is an important celebration at HKIS, as it signifies the “Light of the World”, the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. With so much magic in the plaza that night, it’s hard not to see the light shining in our community.

The event program cover art was designed by Athena Lin (R2). Click the image above to see the full program.

Merry Christmas!

This name of this festive HKIS primary student was picked out of a special lucky draw to be the VIP to “light” the tree.