Great Hearts Trivium Faculty Showcases Creativity in Eighth Annual Gingerbread Contest
Great Hearts Trivium December 21, 2023 -
At Great Hearts Trivium, the spirit of creativity, ingenuity, and determination thrives within its faculty members, who recently showcased their talents in their Annual Gingerbread Contest. “We’ve been doing this for about eight years,” said Archway Trivium Assistant Headmaster, Samantha Uphoff. “It’s something that we look forward to every single year. It’s very competitive, but it’s also very friendly.” Home to Archway Trivium and Trivium Prep, the academy brought together teams of enthusiastic staff to construct edible masterpieces that captivated the entire school community.
The event kicked off with faculty members forming teams – Archway teams split up by grade level and Prep teams were chosen ahead of time. “We’re judged off of three categories,” said Erika Sims, Trivium Prep Office Manager and the emcee for the event. “We have our freestyle category where your structure could be made of Rice Krispie or graham cracker. We have traditional, which is the gingerbread mainly … for your structure, and then we also have our overall.”
The only rule for each category was that everything used in construction had to be edible and made on site during the one-hour time limit. Undeterred by this constraint, the staff brought their visions to life, using other edible materials to enhance their creations. The planning stage for these masterpieces had been in progress for months, and it was evident in the meticulous attention to detail displayed by each team.
To fuel the contestants’ hard work and maintain the festive atmosphere, snacks and beverages were brought in by staff to share with their coworkers. The camaraderie among the staff members was visible as they supported each other during the competition. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a fair amount of “trash talk” heard on the basketball court floor.
As the gingerbread constructions neared completion, the anticipation among the staff reached its peak. The winning teams were decided through a staff-wide vote, adding an element of friendly competition to the festivities. The announcement of the winners marked the conclusion of the event, with Team 13 winning the freestyle category with their replica of the Lincoln Memorial. Team 14 won the traditional category with their gingerbread Viking longboat. And the overall winners for the competition was Team 11, comprised of 5th grade teachers whose display depicted a gingerbread house in candied flames to show that 5th grade is “on fire!”
No trophies or metals were given out that day. Just the coveted bragging rights that will last the whole year through for the winning teams, serving as a reminder of the creativity and teamwork displayed during the contest. And in the end, that’s all the winning contestants really want. And those that didn’t win were already plotting and planning for next year.
The eighth Annual Gingerbread Contest at Great Hearts Trivium was not just a showcase of culinary creativity but a testament to the strong sense of community and camaraderie among the faculty. The event brought joy, laughter, and a festive spirit to the classical academy, leaving a lasting memory that will undoubtedly inspire the staff to bring their A-game to next year’s contest.
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