Teachers and staff at 脡cole Alberni Elementary in Port Alberni have once again put together a rap music video to spread some holiday cheer.
It's that time of year where everyone is trying to behave and impress Santa Claus in order to avoid getting coal for Christmas. Teachers are no different, and the music video "(Naughty or) Nice Nice Baby" shows what the staff at Alberni Elementary were doing in the days leading up to the holidays. Some were on their best behaviour, while others were acting a little bit naughty.
This is the third year that the school has put together a holiday rap video. Teachers Jeff and Brittney Bordal, who also put together the school's annual Christmas concert, said the first video in 2022 was a way to include school staff in that concert. They used Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis to explore what "Christmas Time at Alberni" looks like.
The Bordals "definitely" did not expect the video to become a series.
"At the time, we were still kind of in the pandemic," explained Jeff Bordal. "The reaction we got was that people really liked it 鈥� so it became a thing."
The second video, released in 2023, used another Run DMC song, Christmas Is, to portray the school getting ready for a Snow Day in Port Alberni. The most recent video uses Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby as inspiration.
"We were coming out of that time when everything was kind of a bummer," added Brittney. "There were two Run DMC Christmas songs, so the second one was a gimme. Then it became a trilogy. Now we have people saying they can't wait to see what we do next year."
A lot of time goes into the videos. The Bordals start writing in the summer and spend multiple hours putting together the songs. They record the track, write out a script and start filming by November. Jeff does the editing and the video is released before school lets out for Christmas break.
"We usually film everything within a week," said Jeff. "Most parts were filmed during teachers' recess breaks. Then we go into the school on a Sunday, set up a drone, bust some moves and have some fun."
"Everyone this year came in costume and were ready," Brittney laughed. "The first year they weren't too sure about our idea, but now they get excited about it."
Brittney admitted that she has already started thinking about next year's song.
"This is a very busy time of the year for everyone, but the kids, the parents and the teachers all look forward to it," she said. "It really builds a feeling of community."
"(Naughty or) Nice Nice Baby" can be found on the school's YouTube channel at .
