Press Release: 11-18-2011

Students at Glen Flora Elementary School are receiving a unique geography lesson, while also helping disadvantaged children across the globe during the holidays.

Classes at Glen Flora spent several days this week collecting toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and other small gifts to ship to children around the world, as part of Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” drive. As part of the gift drive, classes packed shoe boxes full of items designated as gifts for a boy or a girl in three age categories. The boxes were then taken to a Samaritan’s Purse drop off center in Winthrop Harbor, where they were prepared for shipment.

But the student’s project doesn’t end there. Because each package was given a tracking number, classes will have the opportunity to track the packages online, as they are delivered to impoverished areas across the globe.

“When our students saw how disadvantaged children around the world spend the holidays it made them want to do something to help,” said Mrs. Rachelle Mendez, a third grade teacher at Glen Flora who helped to organize the shoebox drive. “Now they are getting excited to follow the packages on a map, and see where their gifts end up.”

The tracking process will coincide with the annual Around the World Christmas Tree display that will adorn the main hallway at Glen Flora beginning in December. Each year classes at Glen Flora study the holiday traditions of countries that celebrate Christmas, and they decorate large paper trees in accordance with each country’s customs.

Email Contact: nalajakis@wps60.org

Rachelle Mendez and Allison Essig arrange the shoe boxes at Glen Flora.