Rochester students, staff decorate doors for holidays

Dec 23, 2015

The Grinch, snowmen, Charlie Brown and even characters from “The Polar Express” adorn the halls of Rochester Elementary School this month.

The ornate decorations were put on classroom doors as part of a school-wide effort to celebrate the season.

“We really pulled out all the stops this year to have some fun and the kids and staff came through,” said Principal’s Secretary Diane Lagasse.

The kindergartener’s theme was “The Polar Express” and train tracks wound their way to different classrooms on hallway floors.

Scenes from the book were illustrated using construction paper, glue and cutouts taped to the walls.

In Deborah Bacchiocchi’s kindergarten classroom, kids worked on projects tied to the book Tuesday afternoon while wearing bathrobes, the outfit worn by the story’s young protagonist.

“The kids have been looking forward to this for awhile,” Bacchiocchi said. “There’s a little bit of magic in the air this time of year.”

The second grade wing was done up to look like New York, complete with scenes of skyscrapers and Central Park.

The older grades kept the decorations mostly to classroom doors, often using photographs of themselves as ornaments on Christmas trees or in various winter scenes.

Staff got in on the fun, too.

On Assistant Principal Charlie West’s door a large drawing of Superman was hung, complete with a picture of West’s face in place of Clark Kent’s.

On the cafeteria doors, food service workers put together a detailed scene complete with Charlie Brown and Lucy in a winter wonderland.

On Wednesday, Lagasse said students took a stroll to check out the hard work classmates put in decorating the school before heading home for the break.