Every year after Thanksgiving Recess, the school undergoes a transformation. Seemingly overnight, the windows lining the cafeteria and second floor hallways turn into an exhibition of original paintings by ninth grade families. The panes of glass are covered in seasonal landscapes and religious traditions, the outcome of the Annual Holiday Window Painting.

Ninth grade students, along with their parents and siblings, came together on November 28 to cover the school’s windows in messages and depictions of…just about anything. The event includes the families of long-time students and families new to Parker. New families are tasked with decorating the most visited parts of the school, and their paintings remain on the windows until the end of winter break, to for the enjoyment of the entire community.
This year’s annual Window Painting session resulted in dozens of festive designs and scenic images. Strolling through the school’s hallways, you can find images of smiling snowmen, spinning Dreidels, winter wonderlands, and even–in the 2nd floor gallery–a sprawling rendition of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” created by the families of Gabriel Logan and Mikael Watkins.
There is no set of rules to determine what goes on the windows. The freedom of artistic expression allows families to create beautiful windows, some paying homage to famous cartoon characters and TV shows, others to clever catch phrases such as “I love you a latke.”

“Because it’s a family event, we trust that parents are involved in the editing and selecting of ideas to be appropriate,” Upper School English teacher and freshman Grade Head Cory Zeller said. “In my five years of being a Grade Head, we haven’t had an inappropriate window.”

Certain Upper School grades are responsible for providing a gift to the whole community each year: seniors perform the 12 Days MX, sophomores organize County Fair, and the freshmen decorate the school’s windows. Window Painting has been a Parker tradition for decades, yet very few faculty members know its origin. According to the school archivist, Andy Kaplan, the tradition has existed at least since the construction of the new building in 1962. Kaplan doesn’t remember Window Painting from his student days in Parker’s old building, which he attended until 1958. Kaplan also notes that the job of County Fair used to belong to the ninth grade, until it was deemed too challenging.
Former Parker student and current Upper School Choir teacher Sunnie Hikawa seconds Kaplan’s recollections. “County Fair used to be a bonding exercise for the ninth grade,” Hikawa said. “The Grade Heads felt that the new students wouldn’t have a chance to be a head of County Fair because everything was so new to them.” The freshmen planned it until the 1990s.

The Parker website states that Window Painting dates back to 1948 at the least. So, when did Window Painting really begin?

“I think Window Painting was one of those things that evolved,” Hikawa said. “It started with an idea that got much more organized and structured over time.”

Despite some uncertainty about its precise origin, Window Painting remains one of the staples of Parker life. “We always say that we’re a community,” Zeller said, “and I think window painting is one of the things we do that is super resonant with that.”

“Window Painting is a great tradition,” freshman Amelia Hoerr said. “It’s something to look forward to for younger students as they get older, and it’s a way to express your holiday in the hallways.” As a student who has gone to Parker for nearly 11 years, Hoerr has grown to appreciate the tradition more than those who joined the community in recent years.

For students who come to Parker in ninth grade, 14 years of traditions can be difficult to catch up on in less than a few weeks. “The school I came from had only been around for 20 years, and Parker has been around for over 100 years,” freshman Griffin Kass, who came to Parker this year, said. “Parker takes their traditions way more seriously.”

Towards the end of summer, students who will be new to the Upper School undergo a series of informational sessions known as “the Bridge Program.” The purpose of Bridge is to educate new students into the rhythms of Parker so they can acclimate as smoothly as possible. In Kass’s opinion, it’s challenging to retain all of the information provided at Bridge, which ranges from learning the school’s many traditions to understanding Parker’s lingo.

“When I came to the school, it was overwhelming because I was getting so much new information all at once,” Kass said. “Within a month I had it all down, but I was very overwhelmed during the first two weeks.”

Despite the confusion new students might feel, Window Painting is a simple way to bring together Parker families both old and new in a collaborative and creative space.

Winters in Chicago can be gray and gloomy, with the sun disappearing for days at time, so the event also brings festivity to a potentially dragging atmosphere by adding a pop of color.

“Traditions are really important,” Hikawa said. “When they involve the whole community, they really make people feel like they’re a part of something that’s greater than themselves.”