Sandy Hook Elementary School music teacher Maryrose Kristopik led her fourth grade students through their spring concert assembly at the school on Wednesday, May 11, ahead of the concert held for parents and family members on May 12 at Newtown Middle School.

"Smile and have some pizzazz," Ms Kristopik whispered just before the students began singing a partner song performance of "Play Ball" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." While their fellow students sang, Jack Albano and Elliot Rosecrans tossed a ball at the side of the room.

Students were gathered in Chalk Hill Middle School's lecture hall for the spring concert assembly performance.

Songs performed included "Shine Your Light," "If I Only Had a Brain," and "Tuimbe," a Swahili song. Students also performed songs on their recorders, and sang "It's Possible," a song from Seussical.

A song the Sandy Hook School fourth grade chorus wrote this year with Jim Papoulis was also performed. The song was titled, "Where is Beauty?"

"It's always inside my heart," the students sang as an answer to the song's title. "If I feel it inside myself it will be there for all to see."

"That was better than awesome," Ms Kristopik whispered to her students near the end of the assembly.