Christmas at school

I work as an English teacher in one of the respectable schools. My particular class of 11-year olds is considered to be a challenge by the principal and staff. I am their fourth teacher this year, as no one could cope with their behavioral issues. 

We were approaching the closing of the school year and the final concert. The children were not manageable and didn’t seem to care about the concert, or anything else. When thinking about how to bring Christmas to them and motivate them to rehearse, a friend gave me an idea to write each one a scroll and make brownies. 

A box for a brownie

I had to prepare13 scrolls and bake 13 brownies. My own children were helping me in choosing the materials, making boxes, baking brownies, and searching through pictures for the ones that would match with each scroll.   

In the scrolls I wrote how happy I was to be their teacher this year and what I liked about each one of them. I also included a prayer to receive Jesus there. A home-made brownie was meant to be a reward for a good performance at the concert. 

I prayed desperately that children would catch the fun of being on stage. It is incredible to see the difference in my class every time I pray. The transformation is so vivid. I didn’t have to do anything – I just mentioned to a leader of the group, that they might not be as sharp as the rest of the kids due to lack of practice. 

A letter-scroll for a girl

She took it from there. She organized everyone to do their part, they modified the play, worked out the prompts, skipped the recess to practice more, arranged the stage time for rehearsals, negotiated with the principal the changes to the script, etc. etc. I just watched. After all was done, I gave out the scrolls and let each one pick their little box with the present (they didn’t know that there was a brownie inside). They were so touched, and said that I was the only teacher who did something for them, or seemed to care about them at all. 

Shortly, a boy brought me flowers, one mother thanked me for writing a personal letter for her son, and another girl brought me a present, too. It was a beautiful time when we exchanged our mutual appreciation. My principal was very happy with the idea of personalized messages and brownies. 

Kids were coming to me, so I could pray for them to not be nervous and just enjoy themselves. The concert was a success, everyone returned home tired and happy.

Christmas projects 2010

Usually each Christmas season our children would make a variety of Christmas cards to be delivered to friends and contacts, who had faithfully helped us with their services and care during the year. 

This year a coworker took this idea further. Why not take children cards to the printing shop and offer the cards for donations in bigger quantities to our sponsors and supporters, making it a marketable tool? She explained the idea to the children, and it became a project! 

First, the productions team set out to buy the necessary tools – markers, paper, crayons, color pencils, glitter, etc. etc. Then, every day children were creating cards making them look very nice and giving their best. The youngest participant, Nadia, is 4 years old. Then, after the cards were made, Daria (10) and Aggie (14) took pictures of each card and uploaded them all on the computer. Then an adult laid them out on a A4 sheet of paper with the logo, our contact number and other information, making out of all cards three different flyers. 

Next, we went to the friendly printer and negotiated a good price for printing out each card in color on a special paper. There would be 2 sizes: A6 and A5. Then, when our friends went to their weekly spot in one of the best restaurants downtown, they was offering their friends, clients and employees the flyers, so that those could choose the cards they wanted to purchase for a donation towards children’s collective fund for Christmas. 

The very first day several people ordered 125 cards! We are planning to take children singing, and after each show they could offer to the audience the cards they made with the special message inside.

Here are some more cards that went into flyers.