[slideshow_deploy id=’6072′]

In the midst of the holiday season, Mr. Eichele added a bit of fun to stressful school days by creating gingerbread house-making and coloring contests. He explains that he wanted to make “something kind of interesting to distract from the long days and build community.”

Any PAWS classroom could participate in the gingerbread house contest, and the winner was decided by a panel of judges. For the coloring contest, anyone could get involved as long as they picked up a picture of an ugly sweater and decorated it.

As Mr. Eichele puts it, “It’s the holidays for many people. That way [the contests] could be very inclusive towards everyone. And even if you don’t celebrate any holidays, it’s a stress reliever.” Mrs. Iverson came up with the idea. She confides, “We do [the contests] in our PAWS, so I went to Mr. Eichele, and it kind of evolved from there.” Thereafter, Mr. Eichele established the event and emailed teachers, confirming the contests.

With Mrs. Francek’s PAWS class winning the gingerbread contest and junior Grace Randolph winning the coloring contest, it was a huge success, and Mr. Eichele plans on making it an annual event.