Music teachers use ugly sweaters adorned with bells to spread holiday cheer
— -- Two teachers took a school ugly sweater contest to the next level when they outfitted their tops with bells -- and used them to play music for a delighted student body.
Peter Albertelli and Diana Fox are the band and music teachers at California Avenue School in Uniondale, New York. Each year, Albertelli told ABC News, the school holds an ugly sweater contest.
"The students win prizes and the adults vie for a trophy and bragging rights. It’s a nice, festive way to end the week before we go on winter break. The music teachers play holiday music in the halls in the afternoon as well," he said.
When Fox told Albertelli about her plans to affix bells to herself and play holiday music, Albertelli asked if they could team up.
"I arranged a medley of 'Carol of the Bells,' 'Silver Bells' and 'Jingle Bells' for two sets of one octave bells," Albertelli said. "We practiced during our lunch for a couple of weeks, amid the stress of our winter concert which took place the day before."
Albertelli's wife Jennifer made his sweater by sewing on the bells and hot-gluing the decorations. Fox made hers using a belt system for her bells.
The contest, Albertelli said, is judged by "secret judges" walking around the building. "We made sure to roam the halls a number of times, performing our medley in different places of the building. The performances were met with a roar of excitement from the students and staff alike," he added.
And while the duo didn't win the ugliest award, they did win most creative. In the process, they showed their students their enthusiasm for their subjects and that hard work can have a fun payoff.
"We had a great time and the students loved it," he said.
