Roosevelt students started Kwanzaa celebrations a little early on Thursday evening.

The Centennial Avenue Elementary School hosted an event for the holiday with student performances and cultural traditions.

"It is one of those experiences that I draw back on for creating cultural experiences for my students and students of the future and really using this as a model for what the community should be doing to educate our students," says Shamon Lawrence.

Kwanzaa starts Dec. 26 and is observed through New Year's Day.