Elementary school principal delights students by dressing, hiding like an elf

WACO, Texas — There is the Elf on the Shelf. And in Texas, there is the elf on the roof -- and on a school sign -- and in many other places.

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Students at Cedar Ridge Elementary School in Waco have eagerly gone to school each day in December, wondering where their special elf -- Principal Erin Lange -- might be hiding.

Tuesday, the last full day of school before the winter break, students saw their principal dressed like an elf and perched on the roof of the school’s entrance, KWTX-TV reported.

The day before, students found Lange sitting on top of the school’s sign, according to KWKT-TV.

“School should be fun,” Lange told KWTX. “I think we get kind of lost in all the testing and the learning and all the big stuff, and we should still have fun. I think this is a good time to celebrate fun, enjoy and bring smiles and get ready for the day.”

Lange began her elf tradition last year as a way to boost attendance in December and stir up some holiday cheer for her students.

“Last year, I just kind of had a whim,” Lange told the television station. “I thought, ‘We need a little bit more joy.’ Get kids here in the morning laughing and having fun for the Christmas season, so I started last year by sitting on the sign. It just kind of has become a tradition I hide somewhere every morning.”

The attendance did not rise a great deal, but the students’ enthusiasm certainly did.

Lange has been trapped by the Grinch, has purposely made a mess on the floor in front of the school custodian and has ridden a sleigh around the school grounds.

Students like kindergartner Jevon Richard run to her hiding spot to share where the Elf on the Shelf was hiding in their homes, KWTX reported. He was particularly disturbed when the Grinch tried to trap the principal-turned-elf.

“The Grinch was right by her,” Richard told the television station. “I can see that she’s on tape, and he, the bad one, tried to steal Christmas from me, and I’m not (going to) let that happen.”

Lange said she would continue the tradition next year.

“Kids are coming in excited and happy and laughing,” she told KWTX.