On Sunday, December 11th the Hawthorn main hall was ablaze with light and festive wreaths. From the front of the hall, the school's glittering Christmas tree presided over more than a hundred guests who gathered for Hawthorn's first annual Christmas party. With everyone decked out in their best holiday finery, families and friends mingled while sipping eggnog or hot chocolate and sampling a wide array of Christmas baked goods. The Hawthorn School Chorus sang lovely renditions of Silent Night, Once in Royal David's City, and The Twelve Days of Christmas. Student poets then gathered for a dramatic recital of A Visit from St. Nicholas, and shortly afterward Santa Claus himself made an appearance to the delight of young and old alike, while snowflakes drifted gently through the frosty air outside.