"Wreaths"

Each class at Chets Creek makes a "wreath" to be auctioned off this week. It's a silent auction and the beautiful handicrafts decorate the lobby as holiday music fills the air. It really feels like the holidays when you walk into the door of the school. Actually what started out as a "wreath" auction many years ago has actually morphed into a range of holiday items for sale such a trays, platters, tabletop trees, holiday cards, table cloths and runners, tree skirts, etc. It is always amazing to me what the classes can create. The designs are actually a collaboration between the teachers and class parents, but the students always have a hand in the design. Below are the kindergarten offerings this year.

The money raised by the auction goes back to the classroom. The teachers use the money to pay for the items they purchased for their "wreath" if the items were not donated. Many of the teachers use the profit to fund a special project for their class. This year some of the kinder teachers decided to use the money to donate to a special cause or charity. For instance, Haley Alvarado and Meredy Mackiewicz chose a child off an "Angel Tree" that was the same age as their kindergartners. The class discussed how the holidays are celebrated in different families and why the holidays might be difficult for some families. The children helped decide what the gift should be for their Angel Child. What a wonderful holiday tradition when teachers use this teachable moment to teach what has been called the "gimme" generation, empathy and that each of us has a responsibility to the greater good. That really is what the "holiday spirit" is all about.