The Gingerbread House at Newington High: A Heartwarming Holiday Story About the Soul of Public Service
The Gingerbread House at Newington High: A Heartwarming Holiday Story About the Soul of Public Service
AFSCME Council 4’s members at Newington High School, part of Local #2930, ushered in the holiday season in an exciting and creative way.
Between phone calls, attendance slips, and the steady flow of students through the front office, the school secretaries decided to do something they had never done before. They wanted to decorate the school in a way that felt warm and festive, but also reflected the diversity of the students they serve every day. They chose a gingerbread house—not as a holiday symbol tied to any single tradition, but as a seasonal display meant to bring joy to all and a winter theme that students from every background could enjoy.
There was no budget for it. Every supply was paid for out of their own pockets. Cardboard, paper plates, cups, tape, and markers were gathered slowly, piece by piece.
Our members’ love for their school community was in every detail. Colored Solo cups were cut apart, the bottoms trimmed and reshaped to become rows of gumdrops. Paper plates were sliced in half and layered carefully to form roof shingles. Strips of white paper became icing. Bright construction paper turned into windows, doors, and trim.
Our school secretaries took two weeks of their time to turn the Newington High School’s main office into a winter wonderland, sacrificing lunch breaks and staying late at the end of the day. Every decoration had to be hand-made.
As the gingerbread house took shape, students began to notice. They stopped to look more closely. Some asked how it was made. Others smiled and moved on, carrying that small moment of brightness with them into the rest of their day. It made the space warmer. It made students feel at ease and brought them joy.
For our members, that joy was the point. When asked what inspired them to do this, they talked about how many cultures, faiths, and family traditions walk through the school’s doors every day. They talked about how easy it can be to forget that not everyone experiences December the same way—and how important it is to make sure that no one feels left out of a space meant to serve everyone. In a school community made up of many cultures, faiths, and traditions, they wanted to create something that welcomed everyone equally. For them, the gingerbread house said: “You are welcome here. However you celebrate—or don’t—this place is yours too.”
Our members, the secretaries at the Newington High School, put this holiday display together, going above and beyond, without asking for recognition. They did it simply because they care about the school and the people who enter the building every day. The gingerbread house was an act of quiet service, created out of affection for their community and a belief that everyone deserves to feel welcome in the place they spend their days.
The gingerbread house will come down after winter break, as seasonal decorations always do. But the effort behind it—the time, the care, the intention—speaks to something lasting. What remains is a reflection of the soul of every public servant: the commitment to inclusion, the passion, the selfless dedication, and the unseen work that helps build a community.