SANTA’S ‘SECRET’ WORKSHOP
Area shop classes make holiday toys for Carrie Knause elementary students
Christmas arrived a little early for elementary students at St. Louis Public Schools.
Tuesday morning wood shop teacher Phil Maxwell and about a dozen of his students surprised youngsters at Carrie Knause Early Childhood Learning Center and Nikkari Elementary by delivering wooden toys they made in class over the past several weeks.
Kindergarten and first graders received a train set, second and third graders a Jeep or a race car, and fourth and fifth graders a board game.
In all, about 50 students in three classes built more than 400 toys to hand out.
“We make them, we build them. I have the greatest job in the world,” Maxwell told kindergartners in Tina Doughty’s class prior to receiving their gifts.
Superintendent Jennifer Mckittrick was also on hand to view the festivities.
“This is the first time we’ve done this,” she said. “Last year at Christmas the (shop) students attended the (city) parade and handed out toys to all of the kids who were there.”
The district received a $3,000 grant from the Central Michigan Youth for Christ Youth Advisory Council to help fund the project.
“I think this also provides a lot of gratification for the students giving them out,” Mckittrick said. “These are real nice toys.”
Senior Kay Stites, a first year woodshop student who was helping deliver the gifts, agreed.
“This is the best part,” she said. “Just seeing the kids get all excited.”
However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, it wasn’t easy pulling off such an undertaking.
Kindergarten through eighth graders have been back in class since just after Thanksgiving. However, due to state health
regulations, high school students didn’t return to in-person learning until Monday.
The shop classes started making the toys in September but things slowed down in November when the new health restrictions were implemented.
Because of the missed classroom time a couple
of retired teachers — Gary Stanglewicz and Steve Kelly — came in to assist, Mckittrick said.
“They helped do a lot of the sanding,” she added.
Even if it was just for a couple of days before Christmas break it’s good to have all the students back in the classroom, Mckittrick said.
“Kids need face-to-face learning,” she noted.
All students will return to school on Monday, Jan. 4.