Before heading off to winter break, students are asked annually by their teachers to share with the class how they will spend their time off from school. While it is interesting to learn of the student body’s holiday plans, some people may also find it interesting to learn about the plans of the YLHS staff! While talking to some of our staff members, it was interesting to hear that everyone has special traditions. Some of these traditions are very familiar, while some are unique!

Over in our Spanish department, I caught up with Mrs. Núñez about her plans for the winter break. She shared that her family celebratesChristmas, as it is a huge event in the Catholic church. Her family’s celebration is not about Santa but rather about the Catholic faith and the birth of Jesus. Mrs. Núñez (S) shared that on Christmas Eve, “the children stay up really late and you just party, sing, dance, eat, and it’s just very family-centered.” It sounds like they have a great time!

After the Christmas celebrations, the Núñez family gets together for New Year’s 

Eve, which is a huge holiday in her family, as is it in many Mexican families. A New Year’s Eve tradition of hers that I found particularly interesting is the making of traditional homemade tamales. As part of the process, the woman of her family gets in line at the store for the special tamale dough at 5:00 a.m. The store opens at 7:00 am, and once they get the dough, they go eat breakfast together before returning home to prepare the tamales. It is clear to see that the common themes in Mrs. Núñez’s family during the holidays are tradition, faith, and family.

I headed over to our finance office to talk with our Activities Director, Miss Harney, about her holiday plans. She explained that she enjoys going to her parent’s house on Christmas to celebrate, and they all spend quality time together. Miss Harney shared that her favorite festive song is Mistletoe by Justin Bieber because it has been a favorite of hers since she was young.

Similarly, Mrs. Luxa and her family also gather together on Christmas and attend church. They enjoy watching holiday movies together, such as Frosty The Snowman, and they always have a fun time!

Lastly, I got the chance to chat with Mrs. Shube about her holiday plans. Although she normally does not leave town since she is the cheer and song coach and they have practices going on, she and her family love to take trips to Universal Studios and Disneyland when their busy holiday schedules allow. Mrs. Shube (S) shared that “as a language arts teacher, reading is a big pastime for me during the break. When the weather is cold outside I love to snuggle up on the couch, have the fire going, and have a book in my hand. It’s the most wonderful thing I can imagine doing.”

I enjoyed chatting with my teachers about their holiday plans and learning more about their lives outside of the classroom. I recommend flipping the question around this year and talking to your teachers about their holiday plans!