Students show their Christmas spirit in their pajamas

Intermountain Catholic

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Missy Knudson reads a Christmas story to her preschool students on The Feast of Saint Nicholas, Family Story Night at Saint John the Baptist School. This is the third year the school holds this event, which is becoming a tradition. IC photo by Priscilla Cabral

DRAPER — A pug dressed up as Santa, and Olivia, a piggy little girl, were special guests in Allison Kulig’s fourth grade classroom at Saint John the Baptist School, Dec. 4.

Olivia is a character of a funny children’s Christmas book titled Olivia Helps With Christmas. The pug is Kulig’s lovely pet.

The pug and Olivia were not the only ones with a holiday spirit in the school.

At 6:30 in the evening, hundreds of kids in their pajamas were running down the decorated hallways to their classrooms. Their teachers were waiting sitting on a chair with books in hand, ready to start telling magical, humorous, and inspirational Christmas stories.

"We thank you God for bringing us together as a community… Give us generous hearts, and remind us of the light of your Son," said Terry Lane, principal, over the intercom to give start to The Feast of Saint Nicholas, Family Story Night.

Lane created this Christmas-themed family night three years ago, and said it has become a nice school tradition.

Story night has been a family favorite since it started. Lane said about half the school showed up the first year. This year, the turnout was even bigger.

The preschool and kindergarten classrooms were crowded with parents and dozens of little ones eager to listen to stories about Santa and his reindeers.

"Even the older kids – the fourth and fifth graders – are here for the cookies and the milk, and because it’s kind of fun to come," said Lane.

This event is also a great opportunity for parents to see how their children have decorated the school and classrooms.

"This is the first year we decorated the tree," said Katelyn Byrnes, fourth grade student.

"We made the snowmen on it, and I brought the flowers," she said proudly.

While some students were there to demonstrate their work, others were there to demonstrate their pajamas.

"I’ve come every year because I like to dress up in my pajamas and wear my slippers," said Kendall Puglisi.

Bradley Castro does not like wearing his pajamas to school as much as he enjoys seeing other people in them.

"It’s fun to see my teacher in her pajamas, and I like mingling with the other kids," he said.

Alannah Clay’s favorite aspect of the evening was to listen to, and smell the stories.

"This book is called The Sweet Smell of Christmas. You can scratch and smell a candy cane, and the pine tree," she said.

All the kids seemed to enjoy going to school in the comfort of their night wear. Some parents decided to give it a try as well.

"I had to dig them out of my closet," said Anita Mekkelson, mother of two St. John the Baptist students and kindergarten aide, about her Christmas pajamas. She was also wearing a hat and slippers.

Lane said there are no plans to add any other activities to this event.

"It’s meant to be simple," she said. "We want the parents to come and enjoy it, not to come and have to volunteer."