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One Plains teacher took her students out of the classroom for their lesson last week to learn art and to help spread the holiday spirit. Forty-three students from Plains High School scattered throughout Plains Friday to paint Christmas designs on business windows.

“They’ve done a fabulous job and they love doing this, especially the new ones, and they love being out of the classroom,” said Kristen Cole, the school’s art teacher, who spent the day going from one end of town checking on her students and giving them tips. Nineteen businesses from Clark Fork Valley Hospital to the Dew Drop Inn signed up to get windows painted. Cole said the students’ holiday painting program is very popular and in demand from the community. She’s even had community members ask if students could get their home windows done, though she had to decline.

“Every year I look forward to this and people always comment how nice it looks,” said Kathy Logan, owner of the Dog Hill Bistro, who received a painted coffee cup among other Christmas decorations on her business windows. “It’s always fun and festive,” added Logan, who has had her shop decorated by students for more than eight years.

Cole started the program during her first year of teaching at Plains 24 years ago. One year, instead of the windows, her students painted Christmas characters on wooden boards, which most of the businesses continue to display at Christmastime. Nearly all the businesses were repeat customers and some of the students had participated in the program previously. This is only the second year for the hospital to get decorated.

Cole sends out letters each year to the businesses asking if they’d like to participate in the program. In most cases, the students select their own design, but a handful of businesses requested a specific scheme. All of the students do some kind of sketch, which is approved by the teacher. Cole said there are a variety of scenes this year, but this might be the first year for Disney characters, which was done at the Wash Tub Laundry, where Mickey Mouse hits Donald Duck with a snowball. Three businesses had Grinch themes. “I posed for that picture,” said The Printery owner Randy Garrison, referring to the large Grinch on his front window, painted by freshmen Garret Noble and Broxton Heider.

The post office requested a theme of Santa delivering presents. The crew – Katrina Hagerman, Meriah Morman, Rebecca Madden, and Susanna Uli – decorated 45 windows, which took them most of the day. Hagerman sang Christmas songs while painting. “It kind of motivates me to do a good job, and I really like Christmas music,” said Hagerman, a sophomore who participated in decorating the town last year, too.

The students use a tempera water-based paint, but with a “magic ingredient” of dish soap, said Cole. She said the soap makes the decorations easier to wash off. Most of the business owners clean the windows themselves, but if they want the students to do it, they do it during their holiday break.