Marbaugh turns space into a wonderland

VW independent staff/submitted information

With the holiday season in full swing, students and staff are seeing how much teachers go out of their way to make their classrooms extraordinary.

Ginny Marbaugh, a middle school teacher at Van Wert School at the Goedde, spent the last two weeks turning her classroom, along with the hallway leading up to her classroom into a magical winter wonderland.

“Van Wert City Schools is blessed to have so many awesome employees who go above and beyond,” Superintendent Mark Bagley said. “The Christmas experience that Ginny gives the Goedde and Van Wert City Schools is simply incredible. Walking through the hallway puts you in a great place to truly embrace the Christmas season.”

While decorating a classroom is not required, many teachers, like Ginny, go way above and beyond expectations, most times at personal expense, to bring the subjects they are learning or a holiday they are celebrating to life.

“I think it’s very important for them to be able to see the book like a movie in their head so I try to make that come alive,” Marbaugh stated. “That’s what I do with all my themes. I make something come alive; a time period, a theme, a holiday.”

Christmas trees and lights abound – Marbaugh enjoys making memories with students.

“I want to give the kids experiences,” she said. “A lot of kids don’t have good memories of school, they don’t want to come to school, so my whole point is to decorate it so it’s exciting and make it fun and make it interesting.”

Marbaugh, her assistant, and students decorated the hallway leading up to the classroom. The hall is lined with beautifully decorated Christmas trees, and tables with Christmas-themed books, and you will even see Mrs. Claus baking cookies.

Marbaugh said she and her mother spent over 15 hours decorating the glass display case that’s located down the hall from her classroom. She has spent countless hours after school, and many Saturdays and Sundays bringing her visions to life.

When asked why she feels the need to devote so much of her free time and expenses, Marbaugh’s answer was simple.

“I just have a passion for it,” she explained. “I love my job and I love these kids. It’s just one of those things where I was meant to be in a classroom like this. These kids deserve these experiences.”