Dear Editor:
The Christmas season has come and gone. I often wonder if we really understand the true meaning of this season. Do we understand the impact that the birth of Jesus should have on each and every one of us? It is tough to teach this to our children. They are constantly bombarded with advertising selling one thing or another. That is why I am so impressed and proud of my fifth-graders at St. Pancras.
For this holiday season, they decided to take up a collection. Each day, many of them would sacrifice buying something and place that money in a collection jar. Little by the little the money accumulated. Parents even got into the giving spirit and donated money. Everything from a few pennies to larger bills were put into the jar.
The Tuesday before Christmas, some students representing the fifth grade met at a local toy store. There they took part of the money that was collected and bought gifts for children who were not able to receive gifts. These gifts were then given to a family as Christmas gifts. The spirit of giving and helping others was definitely apparent with this act.
Normally, that would have been a wonderful act on its own. The fifth grade was not finished. They decided to take the rest of the money that they collected and adopt an endangered animal through National Wildlife. The students realize that many of the animal’s ability to survive the challenges of the 21st century are being outpaced by events that are transforming our world. Global warming, the loss of habitat and the fact that people are more disconnected from nature than past generations are converging to put as much as one-third of the world’s plants and animal species on the path to extinction by mid-century.
The students did not want to see this and with their small donation, tried to do their part and make a difference in the world.
These two acts were a wonderful sign for our next generation. It shows that with all of the commercialism in the world, there are still really good kids who know the true meaning of Christmas. They had a great idea and ran with it to help others. If more young people acted in this manner and had this loving, giving attitude, the world would truly be a wonderful place.
I am very proud of these kids and grateful that I am able to be their teacher.
Walter Stark
St. Pancras School
Glendale
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