Students and staff at Fair Grove Elementary, Middle School and High School are getting into the holiday spirit with a variety of festive activities and traditions, spreading joy and warmth throughout the school community.
As we approach the holidays, Christmas is celebrated in many different ways throughout the school district. Christmas spirit is brought to life during holiday parties and meetings which many students find memorable.
High school art teacher Stephanie Brown stated many ways they bring this holiday into the classroom. “We have made holiday themed art. We have ended the semester with a Christmas movie. We had a potluck party. We’ve decorated my classroom with snowflakes and other Christmas decorations.This year my ceramics class made Christmas ornaments to take home,” stated Brown.
She continued, “I think the ornaments are my favorite. My students usually make really cute ones, then I have them pick one and write a sweet message on the back and gift it to someone they love. It always makes my heart happy.”
High school science teacher Lindsay Dunning added, “For SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), we always have our Merry Happy Friendsgivingmas meeting. This meeting is always a lot of fun and we focus on the importance of gratitude in our daily lives as well as healthy friendships.”
The elementary school celebrates the Christmas season with a holiday shop. This is set up in the school library where the students will then be able to shop for their friends and family members with the help of teachers and high school students.
In addition to the celebrations, there is more to Christmas than the physical gifts and activities. Rebel Neely (3) explained, “Christmas is about celebrating Jesus’s birthday.”
Dunning stated, “Christmas always feels like a reset button for me. At the end of the year, it is a time to refocus on things that don’t really matter and put my attention on the things that do.”
As the year comes to an end, teachers and students are eagerly waiting for Christmas break to arrive. However there are many things that teachers hope for coming into the holidays.
Middle school and high school art teacher, Kezia Price, said, “I hope that they feel loved and safe here and that they know how much I love them all. I also hope that when they go home for the break they will be surrounded by loved ones!”
Brown commented, “I just want my students to feel loved, happy, and safe during the holidays. I want them to be able to be home with their friends and family and be able to enjoy and appreciate that time.”
