School fights post-holiday blues with puppies, escape room and more

To combat the post-Christmas break blahs that can come during the middle of a school year, a Columbus area high school conducted a creative day full of classes designed to deliver stress-free learning.

Troup High School’s inaugural “Winter Wonderland” earlier this month included anime, tie-dying, knitting, lip synching, vision boarding, jewelry making, Marvel Comics debating, Harry Potter appreciating and Play Station gaming. But the two most popular choices for students were, according to the Troup County School System’s news release, the escape room and the puppy de-stressing room.

World history teacher Hannah Frady hosted the puppy de-stressing room, where colleagues dropped off their dogs for the day so students could participate in the soothing sessions.

“I got the idea of a puppy room from my time at the University of Georgia,” Frady said in the news release. “During finals week, they had an area where you could come and pet dogs to chill out and study. When the idea of Winter Wonderland came up, I thought it would be a good idea to bring dogs in so kids could play around and have fun. I love puppies, and I knew some of my students did as well. It turned out to be a top selection for students.”

Troup sophomore Suzuna Kimura said in the news release, “I don’t have any pets at home, and it was a long, rough week for me. I am glad I got the puppy room because I could pet the dogs and bond with them. Now I see why it is good for stress, and it was fun.”

Troup principal Chip Medders explained the motivation for the special day.

“As we come back to school after the Christmas break, there is a little bit of a slump in academics and attendance,” Medders said in the news release. “At the beginning of the year everyone is excited to start school, and at the end of the year everyone is excited about prom and graduation. We needed something to give our students a little boost in the middle of the school year.”

Medders said the idea for Winter Wonderland came from Troup teachers who attended the 2017 Model Schools Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Troup’s teacher leadership group, called the Game Changers, enlisted the help of other school employees to develop Winter Wonderland schedule, comprising more than 100 possible classes for students to choose. The finalized course list included suggestions from teachers and students.

Michelle Ashmore, an AP Government teacher and member of the Game Changers leadership team at Troup, led a meditation class during Winter Wonderland. She said in the news release, “Winter Wonderland was incredible because it gave teachers an opportunity to meet kids we have never taught before, but it also allowed us to do things that we are excited about.”

Math and English co-instructor Claire Hale’s room was converted into a salon, where students gave each other manicures, braided their hair and relaxed with essential oils.

“I didn’t have anything in particular that I wanted to teach so I volunteered for rooms, Hale said in the news release. “I am glad I got that one because it was so much fun. I was able to see the kids enjoy being creative outside of the normal day. I also bonded with students who I do not see during the traditional school day. It was great to meet them and see everyone just truly enjoying themselves as they opened their minds to creativity.”

Medders said activities such as Winter Wonderland help foster the school’s culture, which enhances learning, achievement and, ultimately, graduation.

“I have a good group of people here that support each other and bring ideas to the table,” he said. “It’s good to see Winter Wonderland come to fruition.”

Medders added with a laugh, “I submitted a turkey-calling class, but nobody signed up for it. Maybe next year it will get greater response.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 12:00 PM with the headline "School fights post-holiday blues with puppies, escape room and more."