On Monday, November 27, hallways usually occupied by students were filled with tables of paintbrushes, paint, and tarps, all in preparation for the annual Holiday Window Painting. The once bare windows were outlined with tape and covered in soap in preparation for the freshman tradition. Areas around the school began to fill with members of the ninth grade class, their families, and the sound of holiday tunes being sung by the Middle School Pop Vocal Ensemble.
Window painting is a longstanding tradition at Parker. Each year, the freshman class participates in window painting the day after Thanksgiving break ends, leaving the windows decorated for the weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break. Although painting is an activity that appeals to some more than others, the freshmen didn’t find the art aspect of window painting unappealing. Freshman Mara Rogden said, “I thought that window painting was really fun, since I got to express my creativity in art.”
The Holiday Window Painting event is not a short process. Freshmen fill out a form letting planners know who they want to be around and also in what area of the school they want their window to be. Areas include the cafeteria, administrative hallway, and the windows around the library. Next, the ninth graders taped and soaped their windows during graderoom. Taping the windows ensures that paint doesn’t stain the sills of the windows, and the soapy solution makes the paint easier to remove. Once this process is complete, the windows are ready to be painted. “There are a lot of moving parts with Window Painting: prepping the windows, making sure there is enough paint and supplies, coordinating food, and set-up and clean-up on the day of painting. Luckily, we always have amazing Grade Chair parents that volunteer their time to help make sure everything goes smoothly, and this year was no different,” Gradehead Tyler Heidtke said.
When it came time to paint the windows, families chose many different approaches. Some chose to combine windows with the person next to them, while others chose to work with just their windows. Most of the time, families choose to decorate their windows with holiday-specific designs.
“I painted my menorah to show my support for Israel, since a menorah is a Jewish symbol, and I thought my design would support Judaism and the people of Israel,” ninth grader Ava Kling said.
Other families chose to make their windows less holiday-specific and depict the season instead. “My family and I decided to paint a snowman. We painted this because it’s inclusive of all religions, and a snowman is something everyone sees in the winter. Since I am part of two religions, I thought that a snowman would be a good thing to put on my window,” Raiva Lessing said.
Many members of the ninth grade made their windows meaningful to themselves and their families. However, one window in the library hallway stands out from the rest. “I chose to draw Mr. Mahany on my window to get on his good side.” said Freshman Brady Harris. “It worked.”
