A horrid winter full of snow and ice forced school closings and ate away Festus Middle School’s spring break, but a couple of teachers still want to make the best of the situation this week.
Art teacher Valerie Walker and physical education teacher and coach Kristin Nausley concocted the “Non-Spring Break Week,” with a special theme for each day, from March 17-21.
The school was elaborately decorated, and special theme-related snacks are being provided for the staff daily.
Walker and Nausley said for years they held similar activities when nasty weather cut into or eliminated spring break. This year, though, they took extra steps to make up for the particularly rough winter.
They began decking out the school around noon March 15, and when they finished about 6 a.m. the next day, they had turned the basement hallway into an undersea world, featuring exotic fish and coral decorations and blue crepe paper on the overhead lights.
“The kids love it. That’s the reason we do it,” Nausley said. “I think they like the atmosphere it produces. It adds color.”
Principal Tina Thebeau said both students and staff were shocked when they saw the decorations.
“It was all a surprise – nobody knew it was going on,” Thebeau said. “It just helps build up the morale of the teachers and the students. I think everybody’s excited to be here for an entire week; we’ve had so much snow.”
The Non-Spring Break Week themes include “Wear Green to Be Seen,” “Go Bright, Bright, Bright – Wear Neon,” “Wet N Wild,” “Color Explosion Tie Dye” and “Beach Bum Day.”
Festus Middle School enrolls 450 students in grades seven and eight.
“I’d say there are a lot of people participating,” seventh-grader Dustin Burch said. “Definitely, they’re having fun this week.”
Mahala Pittman, an eighth-grader, said she enjoyed snow days at first but then got sick of them.
“I thought the first couple of snow days were fun,” she said. “But after that, I wanted to come to school and see my friends.”
Thebeau said class work continues like normal even with the special themes.
“We’re still having quarter finals and kids are taking their finals seriously,” she said. “But, they’re also having fun.”
