Christmas Traditions at Boyd County Middle School
Lora Parsons
The Ashland Beacon
One might think that the phrase “family traditions” only relates to an actual family--related by blood, sharing the same DNA. But, step into any school to find that family traditions extend beyond the walls of home. Having spent 21 years teaching at Boyd County Middle School, I can easily say this time of year is magical because we share so many of those traditions. The preparation for Christmas begins early--following Fall Break--because tracking down the wheeled garbage cans that house our tree takes time. Getting the tree up is a group effort and a several-day event, shared by multiple adults and students who are eager to help. Melissa Prater, BCMS Library Media Specialist said this is one of her favorite parts of our Christmas tradition: “I love sharing the experience of putting up the Christmas decorations with the children…and listening to Christmas music while we work.” With borrowed decor from family and friends, this year’s Movie Night theme provided the perfect foundation for the rest of our decorating efforts. The theme changes from year to year, but the goal never does: every person in the building makes an ornament to hang! This year’s ornament allowed creators to draw a self-portrait or scene from a movie, hanging them on or near the tree in the school’s front lobby. Kenzy, a seventh grader, commented this group-decorating is one her favorite parts of Christmas at BCMS--that and the fundraisers we do to help our community. Those things, according to her, “Impact people mentally and physically” [They] make people happy and excited and the building just POPs and lights up!” Finishing the decor by Thanksgiving Break ensures that when we return, the building is ready for other events that follow.
Many of the events that help spark holiday spirit happen within the classrooms of individual teachers, who are masters at finding ways to incorporate Christmas-themed activities into their content. Math teacher, Leah Dixon, usually has students “make a geome-tree [Geometry] where they fold 3-D nets into ornaments.” Eighth grade Language Arts students read “The Gift of the Magi” and learn literary elements and vocabulary, while also examining closely the spirit of giving that is at the heart of that classic. In Art class, students work on creating ornaments for the annual Festival of Trees and Trains entry. Band and Choir performances usually happen the week before Christmas Break begins, complete with winter-themed songs. Theater students put on a Christmas play— this year’s being A Christmas Carol. And, because Christmas, itself, is a piece of our culture, its very presence is a part of the learning, also. The holiday season presents many opportunities for teachers to bring current cultural Christmas experiences into their classrooms.
While learning is certainly not sacrificed in exchange for fun, there is a little of that scattered into our traditions, as well. A recently-added fan favorite is the annual Holiday Whobilation. Students rotate through carnival-style holiday games during their Related Arts classes and enjoy some relationship-building time with their core teachers. Wrapping up learning topics before a long break presents teachers the golden opportunity of cultivating the relationships that must flourish in order for students to learn best. The heart of all learning comes directly from a place of mutual respect and feeling safe enough to take learning risks. Strong relationships are imperative, and building those takes time that events like the Holiday Whobilation affords teachers and students.
Many celebrations and in-class experiences provide students with moments of holiday magic, but staff traditions are also part of what makes BCMS feel like family. Our building-wide Secret Santa opportunity requires volunteer “Santas” to purchase a small gift for their unknowing recipient for four days and then reveal their identity with a larger fifth gift the Friday before Christmas Break begins. Students inevitably get in on the fun of this community-building tradition by delivering gifts for teachers throughout the week. And, teams within the building often have their own traditions unique to their particular area. One group of teachers draws names and celebrates with breakfast potluck, while another group gathers for an ornament-exchange and dinner. Our cafeteria even has a very special “elf” on a shelf. And, the whole building comes together for a staff luncheon, an extra special time where we all are afforded a moment to be together. Administrators serve the main course, and staff members bring in the fixin’s to round out the meal while our Central Office staff, their own work laid aside for a bit, help supervise students. It’s truly a special moment. Bethany Crouch, Art teacher, shared of this time together, “It’s the precious time that we get once a year to recharge and celebrate…to look around and remember how much support we have that at no point in our careers at BCMS do we have to go through anything alone.” This moment allows us to BE a family.
Looking out for the needs of our BCMS families and greater community tops the list of what I love most about our traditions. Every year, our Family Resource Center helps provide Christmas for Boyd County families and Beta students get to help. Students won’t know who receives the items they purchase, but they get to exercise the art of giving nonetheless. They also have similar opportunities to help with other community outreach programs such as Woodland Oaks’ current Adopt-A-Resident initiative. Additionally, they recently raised nearly $1000 to donate to our Family Resource Center through a collaborative fundraiser that involved students from Art, Choir, Life Skills and Communication Arts. In many ways, during this time of year, whether it’s directly content-related or not, students are growing. Their minds may not be the focal point of that growth the week before Christmas Break, but their hearts and our community certainly are. Education comes in many forms and may look a little different at this time of the year, but maybe, in a building that makes space for looking outward, beyond our own wants and needs--maybe, just maybe the learning is greater at this time of year than any other. It may not register fully on state-mandated tests, but the lesson remains: We all become family at Christmas time.