Dr. Michael Raj, Principal of Cedar Hill Elementary School in Towaco, New Jersey, found an elf costume. His next logical thought was to wear the costume, while on the roof of the school, and greet the students as they arrived in the morning. So that is what he did.
Reactions to the Cedar Hill spin on the beloved holiday tradition have been epic, or at least highly noteworthy. And, based on social media comments, everyone seems to agree that the stunt was “awesome” and “amazing.”
“Elf on the Shelf or Raj on the Roof…you decide!” read the Instagram caption at ches_bulldogs.
Landing at 142 LIKES with 24 COMMENTS in less than 24 hours, the post far exceeded the Cedar Hill School’s most popular posts; which usually receive between 50 and 70 LIKES.
The photos and caption were also re-posted on the Montville Township Public Schools Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms. There, the district reports 166 LIKES, 14 COMMENTS and 6 SHARES on Facebook page Montville Township Public Schools, in the first 24 hours. Additionally, Instagram’s montvilletwpschools, saw 287 LIKES and 4 COMMENTS during the first day.
While the numbers themselves may sound small, they represent significant social media engagement for the 3,500 person school district. Montville Township Public Schools is comprised of seven schools in Montville, Towaco, and Pine Brook, NJ. Cedar Hill is one of five elementary schools in the district. It is home to 329 Pre-K to grade 5 students.
“Dr. Raj on the roof has been greeted with joy and enthusiasm,” said the district’s Public Information Officer, Susan Marinello. “Comments such as: ‘What a memory you have created…’, ‘a surprise that brought smiles to all…,’ and ‘you put so much joy in those kids’ hearts…’ reflect the excitement ‘Raj on the Roof’ has brought to the season.”
Throughout the Montville Township Public Schools district this week, many vibrant social media posts from all seven schools have been highlighted.
At Cedar Hill, in addition to “Raj on the Roof,” a generous Toys for Tots campaign was completed, the 5th grade had “’snow’ much fun” creating winter writing stories, and the 4th grade worked hard on their regions project while learning vocabulary through Pictionary. These are just a few examples of the many initiatives that occur daily in all seven schools.
The motto of Montville Township Public Schools is “Educate. Inspire. Empower.” Each day faculty, staff and administrators creatively embrace learning to help students engage and master the curriculum.
As one “Raj on the Roof” Facebook COMMENT noted: “I’m sure the students will never forget this.”
