Walking through the Hunterdon Central halls is no longer just a hectic and tedious journey. In December, as you walked past our classrooms, you saw the festive doors created by your peers and educators! This year, Central hosted its first annual staff and student door decorating challenge. The challenge was called “Deck The Halls.” Some teachers dedicated class time to the challenge and others had a helping hand from students in tutorials after school. The design was either winter and holiday themed or based on the class subject. Transforming the plain wooden doors we all know into extravagant entrances was a fun and engaging way to kick off the holiday season. 

This challenge is a great way to bring some fun to a time of year that can be stressful for students and teachers alike. With tests and projects crammed in right before break, it offered an exciting creative outlet for anyone feeling overwhelmed. Aside from the rules against covered doorknobs and blocking the hall, the sky’s the limit for our school’s creative decorators. An extra spirited hallway is the 130-140’s. Walking past these rooms was like a winter wonderland. Room 134 showcases a snowman with candy canes and snowflakes, perfect for this time of year. Another fun and creative idea was room 132’s World Cup themed door, accompanied by a pun about the new year. Room 130 implemented culture and craft into their door design, which included a Christmas tree with flags from around the world hung on it. Room 148 displayed a cotton ball and tinsel decorated Grinch-themed arrangement. Altogether, the door decorators really pulled their weight this year, setting the stage for an exciting Winter Spirit Week.

Many of the creative designs showcased in the halls of Central were sure to make you smile, or sometimes even laugh, implementing puns, current events, celebrity culture, curriculum aspects, and so much more. Not only were the doors aesthetically pleasing for passersby, but the students and teachers who created these masterpieces had a blast as well. Aditi Penumetch, a ninth grader and dedicated student, was one of many who had a great time decorating one of her classroom’s doors. If you happened to walk by room 137, you’ll see a delightful and refreshingly creative door with a Polar Express-style design. Penumetch helped bring this idea and the hallway to life. “The process was really surprising because it showed that teamwork can help a simple idea become such an amazing thing. It really helped our class bonding and helped me get closer to my teacher and my fellow classmates.” This unity and teamwork amongst people of all ages and backgrounds are what this time of year is all about. It is clear that these doors have inspired students and teachers in so many ways. 

The due date for the doors was Thursday evening, December 15th, but this deadline didn’t stop the decorators from going above and beyond. Walking through the halls got everyone’s attention and raised a few spirits. Freshman Molly Domurat has certainly enjoyed some middle school holiday nostalgia seeing the doors. “The doors have really helped me get into the holiday spirit, especially because Christmastime hasn’t really been the same since the pandemic. It makes me really excited for the holidays.” These doors have been a great way for students to embrace this time of year, their class subjects, and more. Students and teachers getting an opportunity to share creative ideas and make something that everyone can enjoy has been a fantastic positive change for the school. It is plain to see that the first, and hopefully not last, door decorating challenge has been a great success.