CONTRIBUTED — Cloudland Elementary third grade classes presented “Yankee Doodle’s Dandy Christmas” on Thursday evening, Dec. 12, and Friday morning, Dec. 13. The classes did an amazing job telling the story of Yankee Doodle whose painful toothache steals the joy of everyone’s Christmas spirit.

Then the 3 Christmas Spirits show up and remind everyone of the season’s love, joy and peace. Parents, teachers and students worked together to make wonderful colonial period costumes. Elizabethton Wal-Mart donated money to help provide costumes and accessories. Almost every third-grader had a speaking part, and each student memorized songs and movement to tell the story. Songs included “Welcome to America,” “Yankee Doodle has a Toothache,” “The Yuletide Blues,” “The Christmas Spirit Lives Here,” and “Merry Christmas to You from the Red, White, and Blue.” The dialogue and songs celebrate America’s liberty, freedoms and independence. The third-grade teachers at CES are Ms. Rebecca Tolley and Randy Birchfield and the musical director is Ms. Chris Cook.