Celebrating the joys of the season
By Sandy Garrett, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Friday, December 18, 2009

      This is the time of year when some families snuggle on the couch with cups of hot cocoa and a heartwarming Christmas movie like “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Such stories bring a tear to your eye and help you appreciate what you have.  
      Yet, Hollywood is not the only town from which these stories arise.  In Oklahoma, we have our own heartwarming tales, including this one:
  	A few weeks before Christmas, a child enrolled in a first-grade class in Muskogee, Oklahoma.   The boy was shy at first, as most new students tend to be, but there was something else different about this child.  His family had no place to call home. They were living at a local shelter after moving here from another state in hopes of a new beginning.
      He wanted so much to be a part of his new classroom and he never seemed to let his family’s situation hold him back.   Just before the holiday break, he came to school one day with a few dollars to spend at the holiday store set up in the building.   He wanted to buy his teacher a gift, but the teacher insisted that he buy something for his family instead. 
      Upon learning about the child, the teacher’s family decided to help make the holiday much brighter for him and his family.  The teacher and her family went shopping and bought presents for each family member, along with enough food to feed both families Christmas Dinner.
      On Christmas Day, the teacher picked up the family at the shelter and the two families enjoyed time opening gifts around the tree and eating together.  From the smiles on all of their faces, it was hard to tell who benefited the most.  
      While this true story dates back many years, it is no different than those stories we hear of kindness and goodwill taking place in schools across our state daily.   
      Here are a few affordable and fun ideas that can help get children involved in activities during the holidays while also spending some quality time together:
* Make ornaments from items found in the yard or around the home.  These can be hung on the tree or given as gifts.  
* Write a Christmas story of your own.  Each member of the family can write a line or paragraph for the story.  
* Make a photo collage or scrapbook of pictures from the past year or take new pictures.  Either could be kept or also given as a gift.
* Break out the board/card games that are sitting in the closet and get family and neighbors involved in the fun.
* Volunteer as a family.  Contact a community center, school or church to find out where help is needed.  Sometimes they can provide the name of family in need of food or other items.
* Set aside a night for reading a book together or holding a movie marathon.
* Bake treats together that can be enjoyed at home or shared with Oklahomans at a local shelter for the homeless.   
      As we gather together with our friends and family this holiday season, let’s remember to give all we can of ourselves, spend time with those we love, and make memories that will last a lifetime.  
      
       Read to a child – the benefits last a lifetime!
       




www.sde.state.ok.us


EDITORS: For more information, contact Shelly Hickman, State Department of Education, (405) 521-3371.