Thanks to their rendition of "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus," the Music Makers of Eleanor Rush Intermediate School have been featured on Philadelphia radio station B101, and last week, performed with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops.

The students recently won the station's Christmas Choir Competition contest, which pitted them against other Delaware Valley schools for top honors.

"I felt like we won a Grammy," said Natalia Sigmund, music teacher. "We never expected it, to tell the truth."

Sigmund, now in her fifth year at Rush, knew about the competition last year, but elementary schools weren't allowed to participate. The school received a letter about the contest, but Sigmund and her students were too busy practicing for their winter program.

A week before the submission date, which included a recording of a Christmas song, Sigmund and the Music Makers were urged to send in a tape.

"A couple of weeks later, I got an e-mail saying they made it to the semi-finals," said Sigmund.

After a round of online voting, where Sigmund found out people from all over the world logged on to vote, the Music Makers came out on top.

"Literally, I was so excited, I screamed, I laughed I cried," Sigmund said. "The kids started jumping up and down."

Part of the prize was $5,000 for the music department as well as singing their song as the opener for Peter Nero and the Philly Pops last week. Since they won, Sigmund said, they've been getting requests to perform their song at other events.

Last week, the Music Makers sang "Gold Bless America," "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" during the board of education meeting. There, the choir members received certificates from N.J. Rep. Diane Allen's (R-7) office.

The $5,000 from B101 went to the Music Makers, winners of the kindergarten to sixth grade division and also to Bishop Shanahan High School's Choral Ensemble. Sigmund said the money might be used toward new carpeting in the music room.