Community of Faith (COF) knows how to ring in the holiday season with its winter festival. Roberts Road Elementary (RRE) families happily celebrated the seventh annual festival with the theme “Night of Wonder.” As families entered the school, students were taken to the gymnasium to create a special gift for their parents. Afterwards, they could enjoy snacks and head outside to participate in various activities. This year’s festival had nine stations, four bounce houses, an ice slide, and pictures with Santa.

“We do this so families can come together to have a good time and enjoy creating friendships,” COF Associate Pastor Chris Norman said. “It also allows our people to get out and connect with the community.”

The idea to create a winter festival came about when COF asked what they could do to benefit families. They wanted to create a time where families could have a break from the holiday rush and spend quality time together. COF and RRE also take student feedback into consideration when planning for the event. One Gifted and Talented student suggested adding hayrides, which helped solve the issue of transporting families from Zube Park to the school.

“This is my first time experiencing this level of love for our students and community,” RRE Principal Amy Carranza said. “Our students, families, and staff can simply relax and have fun.”

COF recently celebrated seven years of partnership with RRE. Over the years they have been involved in mentor programs, building the community garden, and teacher appreciation. At the beginning of every school year, COF meets with administrators to plan activities for the year. They also assist in refreshing the playground every summer for the incoming school year.