In the Holiday Spirit: Festive Celebrations Around Town and On Campus

Friday evening, girls and faculty participated in community service and holiday preparations across campus. Students decorated their dorms and common spaces across campus, prepared costumes and sets for the Pageant, and wrote letters of thanks and baked cookies for members of the community. A merry band of faculty made their way from dorm to dorm, caroling all the way!

As is tradition, all the Literature and Expository Writing students wrote stories about the spirit of giving for the annual writing contest. The top narratives were selected by faculty readers for the Friday evening gathering, and freshmen Holland B., Angelina L., and Elisabeth W. read their stories aloud to the entire community. Students and faculty alike gained perspective on how a small gesture can brighten someone's day more than you'd ever imagine as well as the importance of giving back to those less fortunate from these inspiring stories.

On Saturday during "Christmas in Middleburg," volunteers helped at the Middleburg Community Charter School's "Breakfast with Santa," and also at "Santa's Workshop," where they painted faces of many delighted children across the span of several hours. In the Parade, freshmen rode in the Foxcroft float — a festive sleigh — singing carols and handing out candy along the parade route.

Foxcroft hosted the Middleburg community in Engelhard Gymnasium for the traditional Christmas Pageant on Sunday. The New Girls and our talented singers gave a beautiful performance that truly inspired the 250 attendees at the production. One attendee shared she is now coming to this special performance with her great-grandchildren, while others (some as young as nine months old!) were experiencing the merriment for the very first time. From the alumnae reminiscing about their roles in the Pageant in days past to children eagerly awaiting the visit from Santa Claus, this tradition creates the merriest of memories.