Teachers at Holliman Elementary School got the chance to shake off the chores of their day for a short while at a Taylor Swift-themed ceremony to cap off Teacher Appreciation Week last Friday.

Mayor Frank Picozzi and School Committee Chair Shaun Galligan joined members of Holliman’s Parent-Teacher Association in honoring teachers in a ceremony as the school day began.

The event featured a DJ playing some of Swift’s top hits, and students lined Holliman’s entrance hallway, chanting the names of the teachers called up to receive an award and photo with Picozzi and Galligan.

The event also gave students a jolt before the day’s work began, which, for third through fifth graders, included RICAS testing.

Planning for Teacher Appreciation Week began back in January, according to PTA president Rachel Messier. From there, the PTA moved forward in planning Friday’s event.

Last year, the PTA focused the  teacher appreciation event around a theme for the first time, eventually deciding to make the event Star Wars-themed. Choosing Taylor Swift as this year, though, was a simple decision.

“She’s become more of a phenomenon this year, and I’ve always loved her,” April Wright, the chair of the PTA’s Teacher Appreciation Committee, said. “So we decided, let’s run with it and do it. Every year is a different theme, and this was the perfect year for this.”

While teachers were told to dress up like they were going to a Taylor Swift concert on Friday, the details of what was planned remained a secret, leading to a pleasant surprise.

“We saw a bunch of tears, happiness, hugging,” Messier said. “And then the kids were so excited about hearing their teachers’ names, too.”

Due to concerns about rain on Friday morning, the ceremony was moved indoors at the last minute. The PTA’s spirits, though, weren’t dampened.

“We couldn’t have the equipment outside, kids jumping in puddles, things like that,” Wright said. “So we kind of shifted it, and it all worked out.”

The Holliman PTA considered the event a success, with Messier saying that they had set a high bar for 2025. The organization has one more event planned to celebrate the end of the school year before a hopefully less-than-cruel summer.

For them, though, showing teachers- that they said they consider practically family members- how highly they considered them was thoroughly worth it.

“Holliman’s a really special school,” Wright said. “They do a lot for the kids, and they really deserved this. Obviously I’m biased, but it’s the best.”