North Adams Elementary staff members Kyle Brewer, Deirdre Mills, and Taylor Jodrey are pretty impressive looking Christmas trees as they greeted students arriving at school on Monday morning.

 

Costumed NAES staff spread holiday cheer – 

By Patricia Beech – 

Students at North Adams Elementary this week are being greeted each morning by a different company of Christmas characters, all in an effort to spread holiday cheer, according to NAES principal Deirdre Mills.
Mills, along with Assistant Principal Kyle Brewer and Intervention Specialist Taylor Jodrey, appear outside the school each morning in different holiday-themed costumes: Christmas trees on Monday, snowmen on Tuesday, penguins on Wednesday, and elves on Thursday.
“It’s the last week of school and the students are cranky, their parents are spread thin, so we’re just trying to spread some Christmas cheer to keep the kids happy and get their days started off right,” said Mills.
Lora Slusher, whose fourth grade daughter Aubrey attends NAE, says the costumed teachers are evidence of how amazing the school’s staff is.
“I think it is a great thing,” she says. “It sends positive vibes to our children, and it puts a smile on my child’s face everyday.”
It’s a bit of holiday fun that Mills says is quickly becoming a tradition at the school.
“We started doing this last year and the response was amazing,” Mills said. “The kids love it, the parents love it – they wave, they stop to take our picture, they’re laughing, and we are totally fine with being the butt of everyone’s joke if it’s going to make them happier.”
Haley McGowan, whose sons Peyton and Hayden attend NAES, says she thinks the costumed teachers are sending an even greater message to students.
“I think it’s a great idea for the kids to see teachers and administrators so involved,” she says. “They’re setting a wonderful example.”