Round Hill takes a visit to Whoville

Shouts of joy could be heard throughout the halls at Round Hill Elementary School as a special guest made their way into classrooms saying hello to students.

“It’s Mr. Grinch!” students exclaimed as they gathered around and waved hello. 

Christine Goodenough, a sixth-grade teacher at Washingtonville Middle School, is good friends with the Grinch and thought it would be nice to bring him by for the students.

Mr. Grinch visited students and teachers all throughout the building and even posed for photos.

“This is all so magical to me,” Ms. Goodenough said. “Seeing all the expressions on the kids’ faces makes it all so fun.”

The Grinch’s visit to Round Whoville is part of all the holiday fun that began after Thanksgiving break. There are four stuffed animals placed sporadically throughout the school, Cindy Lou Who, Baby Grinch, Frosty and Rudolph; students help to take care of them every day. Another character that floats around the school is Choose Love Max. Max helps reinforce social-emotional learning. Chose Love Max pops into classrooms to make sure that students are choosing love and being kind to one another.

However, sometimes the stuffed animals do cause a little trouble. Earlier this week, Frosty and Rudolph photocopied Cindy Lou Who and posted her pictures all over the school! Students and their teachers participated in a scavenger hunt counting how many pictures of Cindy Lou they could find. 

All of the stuffed animals have photos of their activities emailed or texted to a teacher and students view a slideshow of their whereabouts and what they have been up to. Students have been trying to figure out which teacher at Round Hill is responsible for putting together the slideshow and documenting all the fun, but it remains a mystery. 

The school is decorated with holiday themes and students write letters to the Grinch using the Grinch Mailbox, and they participate in the holiday spirit with themes like Grinchy Green Day and Winter Wonderland Wednesday. 

“This is all so worth it and it’s enjoyable for everyone,” said Dina Martirano who teaches fifth grade.