Laughter and holiday music filled the room as German students gathered around tables in German teacher Frau Melgar’s room on Friday, Dec. 5, to enjoy an afternoon of creative crafts and treats organized by the National German Honor Society (NGHS) and German Club.
With the holidays approaching, NGHS Vice President Amrita Josyula ‘27 and German Club President Sofia Granados ‘27 diligently planned the Christmas gathering, encouraging students to decorate gingerbread houses and make cards for senior citizens living at Sage Park Senior Living.
“I chaired [the party] this year and last year with Sofia,” Josyula said. “My favorite part was creating the cards, which was actually a new addition to our annual party. I thought it was a great way to connect with [nursing home] residents. On December 20th, we’ll actually be delivering the cards, and we’ll have the opportunity to chat with them and play board games.”
Each member turned in the cards they created in exchange for materials to build and decorate a gingerbread house. While unleashing their creativity with graham crackers and frosting, attendees watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in German and shared design ideas.
“I loved that the gingerbread houses allowed everyone to let their personality shine,” NGHS Secretary Ella Steinheider ‘26 said. “Some made highly detailed, traditional gingerbread houses. Some threw a creative twist on their creation and added a chimney. There was a way for everyone to have fun while celebrating the holidays together. Next year, I think it would be fun to bring different tips for the icing bags so that students can be even more detailed with their designs.”
After most people finished building and decorating, Frau Melgar, Iris Wang ‘26, and Steinheider judged the houses based on three categories: structure, creativity, and aesthetics. The top three winners were awarded prizes.
“I think most people really enjoyed having the gingerbread house contest,” Granados said. “I loved making the cards [though]. Amrita and I were heavily involved in the planning of the event, but Ella orchestrated the holiday cards [activity]. Having an incentive behind our Christmas Party [or] continuing to have [any] service activity would be great [because] it’d allow us to give back to our community during the holidays.”
