Forest Hills puts a twist on Elf on the Shelf to encourage attendance

FLORENCE, Ala. — Forest Hills Elementary School parents bringing their children to school during the month of December have been greeted by an unusual sight each morning—a not-so-little elf named Little J.R. School administrators said the elf sightings are part of a collaborative effort to help improve school attendance.

“I cannot admit to it being me or deny that it is me, but he is around campus, and he’s hiding out every morning in a different spot,” Forest Hills Assistant Principal Jon Ray Russell said.

Each morning, Little J.R. finds a new location around the Forest Hills campus, exciting both students and their drivers.

The elf only appears from about 7 to 7:25 a.m. each morning, so seeing him has become an incentive for good attendance practices.

Russell added that since Little J.R. has appeared, student attendance data has been trending in the right direction.

“Did a deep dive into attendance for the first nine weeks, and our numbers were up,” Russell said. “We looked at last year‘s attendance numbers for the second semester; we noticed they took a pretty big hit in the last school year, so this school year, our motivation was to find something fun.”

The attendance data since Little J.R. began his appearances has increased when compared to the same week in 2024. The second week of December 2024 had an 87% attendance rate, whereas the second week of December 2025 had a 96% attendance rate.

Forest Hills Principal Laurie Fowler said that it's all part of the plan to set students up for success.

“The research shows that whatever habits we set with school attendance in the elementary years are what continue on into the middle school and high school years,” Fowler said. “I would just encourage parents—you’ve seen that excitement can get your kids going in the morning, so maybe try some other things to get your kids excited about coming to school; we will also on our end here at school.”

And for those thinking that Little J.R. can’t handle the frigid temperatures, know that he has planned ahead.

“I come prepared every day for the cold temps, but at the end of the day, it’s about the kids, and the weather really is second, because once they start arriving, that thought goes out of my head,” he said.

Little J.R.’s final appearance will be on Thursday, December 18, but Fowler said that families should be on the lookout for future surprises in the coming semester.

By Jeremy Jackson