The return of Tucker the Elf has sparked Christmas cheer in the halls of NDA. Tucker is hidden around the school every day, and a contest comes with him.

If you submit a selfie with both you and Tucker to Mr. Bryan Konshak’s email, your name is entered into a drawing. If your name is drawn, you can pick from a few prizes, including candy, board games and various fidget toys. 

The tradition began with Konshak wanting to bring some festive cheer right before finals. He had an elf at home with his family and wanted to bring the tradition to school.

A student offered to donate an extra elf they had at home, and the rest is history. Tucker started appearing around the school in 2015 and every year since. 

“If you play multiple times, you have a better chance of winning, and you can play every day,” Konshak added.  

Because of the early finals this year, Tucker is here for only two weeks instead of all of December. With this somewhat limited time, make sure to be extra observant. 

If you do decide to submit a photo, make sure you do it before or after school. Also, if it’s a group photo, each person must submit their selfie to keep track of who submitted it first. 

Mr. Konshak started and has kept the tradition alive for 10 school years. He says the hardest part is searching for Tucker in the morning. 

It might be hard to spot him at first, but just look for that all-red outfit with the matching Santa hat. 

The only thing Konshak asks is to please keep your hands off Tucker. Every year, he is stolen and loses more of his Christmas magic.

The stress of finals may already be settling in, but having a small thing to look forward to each day can bring a little light into your life.