Jefferson Middle School teacher Rebecca Rupolo’s classroom’s Elf on the Shelf, Ralph, brought a snowman to the kids from his adventures, which melted from being indoors.

Jefferson Middle School students in Rebecca Rupolo’s class are enjoying the holiday season with their classroom Elf on the Shelf, Ralph. Ms. Rupolo’s special needs students love following Ralph’s antics in their classroom, while promoting good behavior. Ms. Rupolo’s paraprofessionals, Jenni Quackenbush, Becca Kendall and Kayla Decristeforo, help put together Ralph’s nightly activities and also created a “fireplace” with stockings for each child in the class.

“I love seeing my kids’ faces when they find out what Ralph has done overnight,” said Ms. Rupolo. “It is such a wonderful motivator for my students to stay well-behaved because they know Ralph is watching them. They are so sweet and want to be good everyday anyways but because they still believe in the magic of the holidays, Ralph is an added incentive.”

This is the third year Ms. Rupolo has had an elf in her classroom. She reads The Elf of the Shelf before the elf makes his (or her) first appearance. The children’s picture book tells the story of an elf that is sent to keep an eye on children on the run up to the holdiays. He receives his magic and can fly to the North Pole–but only when all girls and boys are sound asleep. The elf returns each day to the classroom to be Santa’s eyes and ears, and every night he travels back to the North Pole to report in.

Ralph began his daily adventures on November 30th. Ms. Rupolo shares his activities both with her in-person students and her remote students. Ralph has asked kids if they want to build a snowman, participated in zip lining across the room, flew on a paper airplane and played Twister with Woody and Buzz from Toy Story. Ms. Rupolo plans to continue with the wonderful, holiday tradition each year with her students.