When you think of celebrating the holiday season at school, you think of one small Christmas event. Well, I have come to find that is not the case at Montrose. People take Christmas very seriously here, whether that means wearing the ugliest Christmas sweater and going all out or laughing with your big or little sister making your masterpiece of a gingerbread house — all of which are such fun Montrose Christmas traditions.

After Thanksgiving break, it’s Christmas time! It all starts with decorating day. Everyone comes in with so many decorations for their pole and classroom. We laugh at our box-shaped Christmas tree and our decorating skills. It’s so fun to have time during the school day to just have a laugh and spend time with your friends. Those times will become long-lasting memories. Next, we have ugly sweater and sock day. We all come to school with ridiculous Christmas sweaters and socks. Some people get creative and make their own or some just have them on hand. Either way, we all looked fabulous! Personally, one of my favorite parts of the Christmas traditions is big and little sister gingerbread house making. We bring in so much frosting and candy to make such a masterpiece! It’s an amazing mountain of candy with some gingerbread here and there.

What’s next? There are so many… oh yes! The best of all! Secret Santa! You may get your best friend or someone you have never met before. But no matter what, we all come to school bearing gifts and leaving with a new one! Secret Santa brings a smile to our faces, and everyone opens their gifts with excitement. It’s so fun to see people’s reactions when they open their gift! The best part of Secret Santa is the big reveal which is on the day before break! You open your big and final gift excitingly. Best of all, you might meet a new person who you had or who had you! Feeling the joy around me is something I will never forget. Now that brings me to the biggest and final part of the Montrose Christmas traditions. The Friday before break! We come to school all excited to not learn and to do skits and more. We perform our grade skits in front of the whole school. Everyone is so supportive, and even if you are not an actress, you feel like a superstar on the stage. Each grade performs and so do the teachers! That is the best part!

Best of all, we make friendships with people of all different grades. If you are in sixth grade like me, you will most likely be hugging a senior goodbye for Christmas break. Montrose is such a special place that you are actually sad to leave for break. But of course, everyone is still excited! Christmas is about celebrating Jesus’s birth and how he came into the world for us, and I am so grateful we make that into very fun activities to celebrate at Montrose.

Overall Montrose Christmas is (as Mrs. Elrod would say) “an extreme sport!” We all grow closer and happier. Nothing comes even close to Christmas at Montrose!

Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

By Elizabeth Barrette ’29, Staff Writer

29ebarrette@montroseschool.org