Class Act: Winter Wonderland Edition

This month’s Class Act Teacher of the Month is one that takes the phrase ‘Deck the Halls’ to a whole new level.

The teacher we are highlighting has gone above and beyond for years now to bring some Christmas joy and magic to the halls of West Elementary in Gulfport.

If you happen to walk through the doors of West Elementary right now, be prepared to walk in a winter wonderland.

It’s all thanks to the efforts of one dedicated teacher, Alexandra Hamblin, who started the tradition six years ago. “It was just Thanksgiving Break, I really did not have anything to do and I started decorating our classrooms for Christmas for the kids to come back and see, and I just kept going and didn’t stop. So, every year I just kept doing it.”

From Candy Land to Whoville and a snowy, wintry scene, kids are in awe of the meticulously planned decorations, with Christmas music and lights adorning various areas of the hallway.

This year, Mrs. Hamblin had a team of fellow teachers helping her set up, allowing the team to go above and beyond this year. “It was good team-building, and our principals came out to help, so that was really awesome as well.”

Of course, this is all done for the kids, allowing them to experience an extra piece of Christmas magic in the days before Santa’s arrival. “I’ve gotten letters written from them, thanking me, especially the kindergartners are my favorite, because they are just so loving, they love it so much when they first walk in. We have new kids every year that haven’t seen it the year before, so it’s just really magical.”

This display is truly an impressive feat and seeing the smiles on the kids faces as they walked through the halls was truly worth it.

A special thanks to Mrs. Hamblin for taking the time to show us the display.