By Drew Granthum

There were plenty of soups, songs and Santa to be found at Clanton Elementary on Dec. 1 as the school hosted its annual “Soup with Santa” program.

The program, put on by the kindergarten teachers and classes at CES, allowed students and families to come out and enjoy the holiday season, Principal Rebecca Threlkeld said.

“This is an event we do every year,” she said. “It’s sponsored by our kindergarten teachers, and basically the families can have their pictures made with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, they can eat a bowl of soup. We sell a $5 ticket that’s soup, crackers and a cookie and drink.”

In addition to the meal, those in attendance had the opportunity to make Christmas decorations as well as take in a performance by the kindergarten students. The students, led by Threlkeld, sang several Christmas songs before taking a break to listen to stories red by Mrs. Claus.

“We’ve taught our children Christmas songs,” Threlkeld said. “They…perform, and they also make an ornament. There’s a craft table.”

Threlkeld also said the event serves as the fundraiser for the grade, and that attendance for the event was strong.

“We’ve sold about 500 tickets,” she said.