Eleven years ago, the parents of teacher Marsha Hickey’s kindergarteners gave her a rather unusual Christmas present – a two-story castle large enough for five-year-olds to play in and snuggle into with a good book.

Now, as those original Brockport kindergarteners prepare to graduate from high school, the castle has moved to a new home in the children’s room at the Seymour Library. Hickey didn’t give up the castle, which has been part of kindergarten for nearly 300 students at the Ginther School, easily. School administrators recently determined that the wooden structure, and a few other similar lofts in other classrooms, violate fire safety codes. So, the castle had to go.

The Seymour Library’s children room seemed a logical place for the castle’s new home – there, many more hundreds of children will be able to enjoy it.

On November 12, Hickey and Seymour’s children’s librarian Jennifer Lindsey hosted a castle warming festival attended by current and former students of Hickey’s and their families. Some of the attendees were the original kindergarteners – now seniors at Brockport High School.

Eleven years ago, the parents of the "Critters," Hickey’s pet name for her students, collected money and prepared a design for the castle. Then they spent three winter Saturdays building the castle in the Ginther hallway before moving it into Hickey’s room where it has been a source of wonder and fun for new kindergarteners, and eventually, a fond memory.

The castle warming festival at the library included medieval music, a knighting ceremony and light medieval fare. It was an appropriate way for the castle to begin its new life at Seymour – a similar festival had initiated the castle all those years ago.