Winter Break Vibes: What are Redhawk Teachers Doing Over Break?

As winter break approaches, our teachers are excited about festive holiday plans and traditions. There’s a joyful feeling in the air with sparkling lights and the smell of baking cookies. Everyone has fun plans; some will spend time with family, while others will enjoy watching holiday movies. It’s a great time to relax and celebrate together. So, how do our Redhawk staff spend their time off? Let’s find out!

Cozy Traditions and Festive Fun 

This winter, Mrs. Rath is looking forward to staying home and enjoying the holidays with family and friends. On Christmas Eve, she’ll share a Prime Rib dinner and open presents with her mom before heading to Kane County Cougar Stadium to see the sparkling holiday lights. What’s her favorite dessert? Delicious fudge and sugar cookies!  She’ll also take part in a fun family tradition: a Bingo Gift Exchange that everyone looks forward to each year.

 

Mr. Ashline is heading down south for Christmas to enjoy some warmer weather while spending time with both sides of his family in Kentucky and Illinois. He’s looking forward to a delicious Christmas dinner and a fun New Year’s party. One of his favorite traditions is watching classic Christmas movies with his family—always with a piping hot cup of hot chocolate in hand.

Mrs. Tosello, an 8th-grade science teacher, has a special Winter Break tradition of cutting down her own Christmas tree. While her son recently got married and won’t be home for Christmas, her other two children will be home from college to celebrate together. On Christmas Eve, Mrs. Tosello hosts a festive lasagna dinner followed by opening presents, a tradition she looks forward to every year.

 

Mrs. Spotak is excited for her winter break! She’ll be enjoying time with her three daughters and her grand-dog, Finnagan. They run around in the snow together. She always makes sure to stay up to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. Elf is her favorite movie, and she loves making delicious soup. Plus, she’s looking forward to seeing the beautiful lights in Aurora!

 

Comic Club’s one and only Mr. McPeak. He usually goes on vacation with his in-laws, but since his brother-in-law is expecting a baby, he’s staying home. A new addition to the family! He also works at the St. Charles Park District. On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, his family does something unusual: instead of a traditional holiday dinner, they eat Chinese food! For New Year’s, do sparklers and stay up until midnight.

 

Ms. Churney, our special education teacher for 6th and 7th grades, is all about family and lights this winter. She’ll visit the Morton Arboretum and maybe make a quick trip to St. Louis. Of course, no break is complete without her annual White Elephant gift exchange. Fun fact: her cat, Sam, is hoping for toys under the tree, and Ms. Churney herself is wishing for cozy fuzzy socks to stay warm!

 

Whose anniversary falls on the 1st? It’s Mrs. Roskos, an Infinity math teacher, who is looking forward to a festive Winter Break. She plans to visit the Morton Arboretum and enjoys driving around her neighborhood to admire holiday lights. Her daughter will be home from college, and they’re excited to celebrate the holidays together. One tradition their family used to have was baking cookies every day in December, but now they bake during the five days leading up to Christmas since her youngest daughter is in high school. When it comes to cookies, Mrs. Roskos’ favorite is the classic Snickerdoodle! On Christmas Eve, the family wears holiday pajamas, attends a candlelight service, and later goes out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary.

Guess who loves winter break? Mrs. Amadei, the awesome 8th-grade English teacher! She can’t wait to spend time with her family. They’re going to see the holiday lights at Brookfield Zoo. When Christmas rolls around, she loves to watch the fun movie, Mamma Mia, with her daughter. It’s a holiday tradition! Her favorite snack to make is Fisher-Nutty Cheese Balls. YUM! While she’s not traveling anywhere this break, she plans to stay warm and cozy at home, and maybe take a trip downtown. And for dessert? COOKIES! She knows it’s a classic, but they are just so good! Her top pick is Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies.

Meanwhile, Dr. McGuire is heading to a cabin in Wisconsin with his children. Their New Year’s Eve balloon pop tradition sounds like a blast! Each balloon contains a fun activity, like crafts or snacks, that the family completes throughout the day. Add in sledding, Christmas cookies, and festive lights, and it’s a winter wonderland at home!

Speaking of cookie-baking pros, Mrs. Lykins is heading south to Kentucky and Georgia to spend the holidays with her 9-year-old twin nephews. She’s passing down her holiday baking tradition, making cookies while cozying up to watch her favorite Christmas movie, Elf. And let’s not forget her famous Buffalo Chicken Dip. Christmas dinner just got serious! She told us that she can not wait to check out the stunning lights at Morton Arboretum as well.

Mrs. Whitaker is so excited for the Christmas shows happening downtown and at her church. She’s looking forward to some more SLEEP! She’s planning a cookie-baking day and a White Elephant gift exchange with her family. On New Year’s Eve, she can’t wait to watch the ball drop in New York with party hats and favors! If you’re looking for movie recommendations, she suggests Elf and Home Alone.

Next up is Mrs. Winters! This year, she’s driving to Morris to spend time with her family. Every Christmas, she and her husband enjoy watching a Star Wars movie together. She’ll also be baking in her new stove. She’ll ring in the New Year a little early, pretending that midnight comes at 8 PM to help her son and nieces get some rest. Each year, she gifts them matching pajamas and a book. On her own wish list? Ten hours of peaceful sleep, cozy sweaters, and maybe even concert tickets. A perfect holiday in her eyes!

What crazy traditions do you and your family enjoy? Well, Ms. Pray looks forward to some friendly competition with her “Olympic Games” tradition on her dad’s side of the family. You’re might be wondering how they play… Teams compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals, all while celebrating with family. She’ll also be splitting Christmas between her parents’ families and her fiancé’s family, all in matching pajamas, of course. She shared that she might be going to a baking camp this year!

Guess who’s planning to watch the new Stranger Things series?  It’s Wredling’s 7-3 Team Leader and Social Studies teacher, Ms. Dolan. Over Winter Break, she’s heading to Chicago to check out the Christmas Tree Crawl. One of her favorite family traditions is dressing the younger cousins in matching pajamas.

Winter break is a wonderful time for everyone, filled with holiday traditions and special moments. From cozy family dinners to sparkling festive lights. No matter the tradition or location, Wredling staff are making the most of winter break, enjoying family, fun, and the joys of the holiday season!