Students and parents at Springfield Middle School began their last week before Christmas with a little holiday surprise.
They arrived Monday at the Fort Mill school to find Principal Christy Matkovich sitting on the spirit rock, dressed as the “Elf on the Shelf.” The spirit rock was painted to say, “OMG! SANTA! I KNOW HIM!”
“My daughter was pretty impressed,” said Monique Kilpatrick, talking about daughter Mckinley. “I thought it was fun.”
What did the principal say about pulling the stunt with temperatures in the high 20s?
“She said she was freezing cold, but she was having fun,” Kilpatrick said.
And while Matkovich might not be the first principal to dress as the popular elf, she could be the first to do it in such cold temperatures. Temperatures remained in the low 30s in Fort Mill into the morning, one of the coldest days this season.
Matkovich was named as principal earlier this year after serving as assistant principal there since 2013 and previously as math teacher, math specialist and coach.
She holds a Bachelor degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina, a Master’s degree in Middle Level Education from Winthrop University and a Master’s of Science in Educational Leadership from Western Governor’s University.