This December, students and teachers at IHS truly decked the halls for Christmas during the annual Holiday Door Decorating Contest. Classrooms were transformed with lights, garland, and festive designs as staff members, with help from students, decorated their doors to spread holiday cheer throughout the school.
The contest kicked off on Monday, December 1st, giving staff members two weeks to transform their doors into winter wonderlands. Teachers could decorate on their own or team up with students who chose to participate, which made the process just as fun!
This year marked Mrs. Jessica Crooks’ first time running the contest as the student council advisor. “I think it’s a fun way to celebrate the holiday season,” Crooks said. She also explained that events like this do more than just look nice. “They bring a positive energy to our school climate, build camaraderie within the building, and create a healthy competition among the staff who participate,” she added. Looking back on past contests, Crooks shared that one door still stands out in her mind: Mrs. Popa’s Nutcracker-themed door from around 2023. This is her personal favorite for its creativity and festive vibe.
Once the decorating was wrapped up, it was time to decide which doors truly caught the attention of people. On Monday, December 15th, students and staff voted through a Google Form to choose their favorites. After the votes were counted, the winners were announced: Mrs. Jennifer Mackey took first place, Mrs. Andrea Krysiak took second, and Mrs. Jean Kanzinger took third.
First-place winner, Mackey, had her classroom door stand out with a creative Solar System Snow Globe theme. The idea was suggested and designed by senior Keira Pinion, combining both Christmas spirit and a topic Mrs. Mackey teaches. The door was a team effort, with help from students Keira Pinion, Maddy Percaciante, Bella Iacianci, Sammy Dombrowski, Aubrey Trutza, Toni and Ally Wodarczyk, Gianna Leffel, Adriana Giovanazzi, Ella Kitagawa, and Lexi Behm. The group worked on the door over a span of four days, bringing the design to life piece by piece.
Mackey admitted she was completely surprised by the win. “I did not expect to win at all—but I am soooo excited!” she said.
She shared that the hardest part of the process was settling on a theme everyone agreed on. “All I told them was that I wanted it to relate to something I teach and Christmas, and they ran with it,” Mackey explained. She also noted that coordinating time to work on the door after materials were purchased was a challenge, but one that the group handled well. “It was a great group effort, and Keira did an amazing job organizing everything. I’m so proud of them.” While Mackey isn’t sure if she has participated every year, she said she makes an effort to join whenever she can.
With holiday music playing in everyone’s heads and decorated doors lining the hallways, the contest added an extra sense of joy to the school day and made IHS feel just a little more merry this December.
