By Michael A. Wattkis, Public Information Officer
LINDEN HIGH SCHOOL, N.J. — By the time the lights dimmed inside the Linden High School TV production studio shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, the energy in the room shifted. Conversations softened. Phones went dark. The screen glowed to life.
This was not just an encore screening.
It was a second look at a story worth sitting with.
The encore presentation of “A Tasty Partnership: Santa Edition” was intentionally scheduled for district and city leaders who missed the original Dec. 22 premiere, released amid the swirl of Christmas week, when meaningful moments can easily pass like a powerful scene you wish you had rewound.
On this morning, the rewind mattered.
Produced by the district’s media team, the eight-minute film pulls viewers behind the scenes of a beloved holiday moment, Santa Claus riding through the city aboard a Linden Fire Department truck during the annual tree lighting celebration. But the heart of the film beats elsewhere, inside the kitchen.
The story pivots with a warm, whimsical twist as Mrs. Claus places her secret cookie recipe into the hands of the chefs of Kitchen 107A for one all-important taste test.
The True Stars
Those chefs, students from the high school’s life skills program, were the true stars.
As the film unfolded, they sat front and center in a theater-style arrangement, watching their own story come to life on screen. Behind them were rows of city officials, firefighters, and public works employees, a visual that spoke volumes. Students led from the front, while the community stood firmly behind them. Sharing that front-row experience with the chefs were Superintendent Atiya Y. Perkins and Board of Education President Malaysia Thomas.
When the Room Laughed
Then came the laughter.
Smiles rippled across the studio as familiar faces appeared, Kitchen 107A chefs at work, Linden firefighters, public works employees, and even Mayor Derek Armstead, all woven seamlessly into the narrative. There were gentle nudges. Knowing glances. And the unmistakable hum of pride.
But beneath the holiday charm, something deeper settled in.
This wasn’t just a festive short film. It was a reflection of what happens when students are truly seen, supported, and celebrated, not as an afterthought, but as the main event.
“I really had a good time,” Thomas said following the screening. “I love the partnership. The students did a great job.”
A Partnership Beyond the Screen
That partnership stretched well beyond the screen. The project brought together Linden Public Schools, the City of Linden, the Department of Public Works, and the Linden Fire Department, each playing a role, each showing up for students in a way that felt authentic and intentional.
Fire Chief William Haskell echoed that sentiment.
“It was phenomenal, what a great production,” Haskell said after the showing. “The chefs here from Kitchen 107A did a phenomenal job, and we were honored to be asked to participate in the tasting. The food was great, and it was really enjoyable for everyone.”
More Than an Encore
Inside the studio, the setting itself reinforced the message.
Cameras. Control room monitors. Interview spaces. A professional environment run and navigated by students who understand timing, teamwork, and trust.
This encore screening wasn’t about filling seats. It was about slowing down. About giving space for a story to breathe. About recognizing that some moments, especially those centered on inclusion, creativity, and belonging, deserve more than a single showing.
As the credits rolled and the lights rose, the room buzzed again, not with noise, but with affirmation. Because when students shine on screen, and in life, the entire community doesn’t just watch.
It leans in.