Watch: School's adorable Christmas video proves a hit

A Lisburn primary school who captured their comic Christmas capers on film are delighted with the huge audience who have watched the heart-warming festive video
A still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive videoA still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive video
A still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive video

The video, by Pond Park Primary School, is based on the Christmas favourite film 'Elf', and features school principal Geoffrey Cherry in full costume as one of Santa's helpers.

Over 10,000 people have watched the video in just two days.

Set to music from the hit festive film's soundtrack such as Louis Prima's classic version of 'pennies from heaven', the adorable short video features teachers and pupils alike getting into the festive spirit by dancing and singing along to a medley of Christmas favourites.

A still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive videoA still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive video
A still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive video
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The school say the video is their annual 'Christmas card' to the school community past and present, and has become a popular feature of the school's seasonal productions.

One of the teachers responsible, Eric McCleery, said: "It has been my plan to make a video based on Elf for a number of years now, but I could never find the costume. I managed to get my hand on one recently and knew that we had our video sorted for this year!

"The videos just take a couple of days to film, taking short clips of the children and staff lip syncing to a Christmas song. The children are always very good at learning their lines and moves. The real work is in the editing and putting all the footage together to the song."

Eric’s wife, Nicola McCleery is also a teacher at the school. She made the first Christmas video with the children from her class back in 2009, to the old favourite ‘I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas’.

A still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive videoA still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive video
A still image taken from Pond Park Primary School's festive video
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She made another two class Christmas videos before bringing in the whole school for ‘We Need A Little Christmas’ for the retirement of the late Principal Victor Spindler in 2011.

Since then the husband and wife have made a Christmas video featuring all of the 626 pupils and 60 staff members from canteen staff, cleaning staff and parent volunteers to the Principal Geoffrey Cherry.

Mr Cherry, who stars in the latest video as a playful elf, said: "The Christmas video has become a highlight of the school year which the staff, children and parents really look forward to."

He added: "As everyone knows, teachers are extremely busy at this time of the year and so it is a credit to everyone involved to be committed to producing the video on top of Christmas productions and the day to day teaching."

Related topics: