Students board Polar Express train to school

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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Mrs. Bucci and her class posed behind their "Polar Express" train to make it look like they took a train into the school building.

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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Mrs. Wittenauer and her class stood behind the "Polar Express" train before they celebrated their own "Polar Express" day in their pajamas.

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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The preschoolers of Poland North Preschool moved around to line up behind their train before they started celebrating their Polar Express day on Dec. 21

By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI

abartolomucci@vindy.com

The students at Poland North Preschool started their Polar Express day by taking a train to get inside the school building on Dec. 21.

Mrs. Bucci, a teacher at the school, organized the Polar Express event for her students. Instead of having a real train like originally planned, the teachers made the train for the students to stand behind on their way into the building, due to the weather.

The chance of rain eliminated the opportunity for the real train to come to the school.

Before the students could stand behind the train, they had to go see Mrs. Green to have their hands stamped. The stamp was like a ticket for the students to hop on the train. Mrs. Bucci had a whistle to blow to make a train sound to attract the children’s attention.

“We’re having hot cocoa today, they’re going to do projects related to the train and the whole story. Also, they’re wearing their pajamas, I have the story, trying to bring the whole ambiance,” said Mrs. Bucci.

Another activity Mrs. Bucci and the students were looking forward to was the bell hunt.

“They’re going to look for bells. They’re going to go home with the bells that say ‘Believe’,” said Bucci.

Believing is a theme that is carried throughout both the book and movie versions of “The Poland Express.”

Mrs. Wittenauer’s class also joined in on the fun. They wore their pajamas and took the train into the building.

The children had fun spending a day relating to a popular holiday book and movie.