Onalaska Middle School

Pajama Day Showdown: Part 2

The Final Trophy and the Legend Lives On

As Pajama Day rolled on, the chaos spread across the district.

Superintendent Brenda Padgett arrived dressed as an inflatable Gingerbread Man, instantly raising the stakes. It was festive, cheerful, and only slightly hazardous in doorways.

Maintenance Director Jared Stevens, the 80-year-old man who keeps this school running like a machine, remained unshaken. Spirit Week or not, the building stayed standing. A true Logger legend.

Jerry Carlson, our Food Service Director, smiled through it all like the hero he is, likely feeding half the building while imaginary competitions raged.

HR Director Alicia Clevenger stood ready. Over prepared as always. Lawsuits. Medical issues. Mental breakdowns. Pajama-related grievances. She was prepared for anything this nonsense could bring.

Meanwhile, the High School Office Staff, Sara and Samantha, wisely stayed out of it. Peace was their choice.

High School Principal and Transportation Director Mr. Pilloud was so busy handling two jobs at once that he has absolutely no idea any of this happened. And honestly, that is probably for the best.

And then there was me.
Tori.
District Office Secretary.

Sweet. Innocent. Quietly posting these stories to the website.

Or am I?

As the day wound down, emails continued to trickle in. Photos. Claims. Confidence. Pajamas everywhere.

It was early release for Winter Break. The building buzzed with excitement. Logger Pride filled the halls. The Logger Way was alive and well.

I sat there at the end of the day, waiting on baited breath. What would the outcome of Pajama Day be?

And then it happened.

Mr. Markuson.
Ms. Ranger.
And the EMS Office Staff.

They did what they have done all week.

They declared themselves the champions.

Once again.

With a giant Grand Champion trophy. Homemade, of course.

Competition where there never was one.
Judging that never happened.
Self-proclaimed champions standing proudly in their pajamas.

And somehow, it felt right.

Because at the end of the day, this week was about joy. About laughter. About community. About Logger Pride. About doing things The Logger Way.

It truly is a Great Day to Be a Logger.

And somewhere in the background, I swear I saw Logger Bob nodding in approval.

Happy Winter Break, Onalaska.

Pajama Day Showdown: Part 1

The Calm Before the Chaos

Friday, December 19th.
Day 5.
Pajama Day.

I arrived bright and early this Friday morning for an early meeting, fully convinced I would be the first one through the doors besides the maintenance crew. I had that quiet, peaceful, end-of-the-week confidence.

But nope.

Mrs. Leavitt was already here.
Rachel, do you ever go home?

And then there was Mr. Blue. Our Technology Director. I truly thought for sure I would beat him in this morning, but once again, he had already been here long before the rooster even considered crowing. Honestly, what would we do without Mr. Blue keeping our internet alive?

I fired up my laptop, started my coffee, and began my day. And that is when it happened.

Email after email after email.

All about the final Spirit Day of the week. Pajama Day.

Now, Pajama Day is usually the most relaxed and cozy day of Spirit Week. Soft clothes. Slippers. Calm vibes. An easy win for everyone.

Except this was not that kind of Pajama Day.

No sir.

This day was about redemption.
This day was about pride.
This day was about winning.

At exactly 9:00 a.m., an email came in from Mrs. Richardson. Yes, that Mrs. Richardson. The one who had been mysteriously MIA for at least two days of these very real, yet completely nonexistent, competitions.

She was back.

And she was not alone.

The 6th graders, who had been quietly showing Logger Pride all week, boldly declared themselves the winners of today’s competition. At 9 a.m. no less. Early bird catches the worm, right?

The confidence was impressive.

Then came the twist.

In a move no one saw coming, the 8th grade entered the picture. Photos started rolling in. Pajamas. Props. Commitment. Pajama Day had officially escalated.

Word on the street is that the EMS Office Staff received an anonymous phone call of their own, tipping them off to what was happening on the middle school side of things. And just like that, the dynamic shifted.

Elementary Principal Mr. Markuson and Middle School Principal Ms. Ranger had been working together all week as a united front. But whispers began.

Had Ms. Ranger been quietly working toward her own unofficial championship?
Was a trophy being made behind the scenes for a competition that does not exist and never has?

Meanwhile, the EMS Office Staff reacted swiftly. In a dramatic and highly questionable move, the EMS Office was declared CLOSED to certain teachers. Gasp.

I personally told Mr. Markuson that if they wanted a clean sweep, they were going to have to step up their game.

Later that morning, I saw it happen.

Maximum dad-style pajamas. Confidence unlocked.

And with that, the stage was set.

What would happen next?
Who would declare victory?
Would there be peace, or one final scandal?

To be continued…

Christmas Character Day Catastrophe: EMS Office Declares Victory Again, Produces Yet Another Trophy, and the Madness Continues

Day 4 of Christmas Spirit Week, Thursday, December 18th, and just when the community thought things might calm down after the Crazy Sock, Hair, & Sweater Day Scandal of 2025… the Elementary and Middle School office staff said, “Absolutely not.”

Welcome to Christmas Character Day, where holiday magic meets questionable decision-making and where the EMS office, led once again by the unstoppable duo Ms. Ranger and Mr. Markuson, has outdone themselves… again.

The Costumes: Terrific? Wellllll… Yeah.

Before we dive into the scandal, it must be acknowledged that the costumes were, in fact, fantastic. Truly. Impressively coordinated, thoughtfully crafted, and bursting with enthusiasm.

And yes, eyewitness accounts confirm that Mr. Markuson showed up as Olaf, snowman optimism and all, which means he is now officially a walking spoiler alert for the inevitable chaos that follows him everywhere he goes. Ms. Ranger and the EMS crew were right beside him, fully committed to the Christmas Character theme with enough energy and sparkle to power the district’s Christmas lights.

Did they put effort into every day of Spirit Week?
Sure.
Did they bring enthusiasm?
Absolutely.
Did they embody school pride, cheer, and THE LOGGER WAY?
…OK, fine. You have a point.

But Here’s the Problem…

Once again, the EMS office has declared themselves the winners of a competition that:

Did not exist

Was not announced

Had no rules

Had no judging panel

Had no participating opponents

Had no reason to exist in the first place

And somehow they managed to produce ANOTHER homemade trophy. This is becoming a pattern. A concerning one. A glitter-filled, glue-gun-fueled pattern of self-celebration that no one can seem to stop.

At this point, even the district laminator might file a complaint from overuse.

The Community Reaction

All I can do is shake my head.
When will this madness end?

And yet…
And yet…

As the story continues unfolding, something unexpected is happening. A shift. A ripple in the holiday-tinsel-covered universe.

Readers across the community are starting to whisper:
“Well… good for them, honestly.”
“I mean, those costumes were adorable.”
“Maybe they should win.”
“They made the trophy with love!”
“That Olaf suit must’ve been hot. Give the man an award.”

Is this… support?
Are the principals and the EMS office crew becoming the underdog heroes of Spirit Week?

The same group who rigged every competition that didn’t exist?
The same group who out-crafted, out-planned, and out-trophied everyone?

Somehow, incredibly, unbelievably… people are starting to cheer for them.

But Make No Mistake

At their core, these stories remain what they were always meant to be:

Competitions that never existed

Judging that never happened

Champions who crowned themselves

And trophies created in-house with gusto

The EMS Office:
Self-Proclaimed, Back-to-Back, Multi-Day, Multi-Event, Totally Imaginary CHAMPIONS.

And Now… The Cliffhanger

There is one day left in Spirit Week.

Day 5: Pajama Day.
A simple day. A cozy day.
A day that should be calm, quiet, and drama-free.

But we said that about Day 1.
And Day 2.
And Day 3.
And now Day 4.

So the real question becomes:

Will Pajama Day finally bring peace?
Or will Ms. Ranger, Mr. Markuson, and their unstoppable EMS office crew unleash one final trophy-fueled finale to end all finales?

Stay tuned.
The pajamas may be soft…
But the competition is about to get fierce.

Even if it isn’t real.