Flash mob hits Ottawa Elementary
Published 4:07 pm Friday, December 23, 2011
Serynn Nowlin, front, and other Ottawa Elementary School students took part in a flash mob during Friday’s monthly student assembly. The students practiced for weeks before unleashing the surprise dance routine on students and teachers in the school gymnasium. (Daily Star Photo/CRAIG HAUPERT)
BUCHANAN — Ottawa Elementary School’s monthly student assembly started out normal enough.
Then it was interrupted by a flash mob.
About 45 third and fourth grade students and a few teachers got up during the assembly and started dancing in unison to Christmas music in the school’s gymnasium Friday morning.
The rest of the students were unaware that their peers had been practicing the routine for weeks with teachers Jennifer O’Toole, Tami Fox, Amanda Hinterman and Nicole Teshka.
Ottawa principal Mark Nixon said the students in the flash mob were among the upper level part of the school’s Response to Intervention group. The flash mob was an enrichment activity designed to help the students learn.
Minutes after the first flash mob finished a second one started. With a Santa hat on his head, Nixon grabbed a microphone and began singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, while teachers dressed in holiday outfits danced and sang along.
Santa Claus even stopped by at the end of the show, eliciting cheers from the students.
Ottawa Elementary School is part of the Buchanan Community School system.
