(PHOTOS) Hopkins Tradition Welcomes Students Back from Winter Break

The bell signaling winter break rang at 2:35 p.m. Friday for students, but student government members had one more task to do before they headed out: decorate the school.

The students were continuing the annual tradition of putting up a paper snowflake or mitten for every one of the high school's nearly 2,000 students. Each decoration bears the name of one of the students.

When the school reopens after winter break, the returning students will then try to find the decorations with their names.

“They think it’s pretty cool,” said junior Mark Ruschiano. “A lot of years they forget about it, and then they come back to school and they’re like, ‘Oh my God.’”

The student government leaders use a machine to cut out the decorations, but they still must write each name by hand, said junior Shelby Ullrich. The 15 or so members each work their way through a list until they’ve inked in each name.

But for the students responsible, the work is worth it.

Said Ruschiano: “It’s just a fun thing to do after winter break.”