The Phantom Christmas Cookie Party!

by Tom Hoerr

December is Remembrance Month at The Worthy Educator!

My fun holiday memory is thinking about my mom telling us and her other close relatives that we each needed to give her a dozen cookies for the Christmas Cookie Party that she was hosting.

Four or five of us did so every year. It wasn’t until later, though, after she left this earth, that we learned that there wasn’t a Christmas Cookie Party at all. She was collecting the cookies for herself!

Tom Hoerr is the founder of the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the first in the nation implementing Multiple Intelligences theory across the curriculum. When he's not sharing entertaining stories with his wry wit, he serves as a Scholar in Residence at the University of Missouri-St.-Louis where he launches a new EdD in Character Development Social Emotional Learning, and Leadership program right after the holidays in 2026! His Mom always said he was a good boy, and he believes to this day that he is still her favorite. You can contact Tom via email here.