The Garden City Telegram
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Students act as 'Santa's special elves'
Published 12/17/2009 in Local News
By MONICA SPRINGER
They looked at several items first, including a Minnie Mouse color book and several other books and dolls.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Ingrid Gardaya, 4, right, stands up in a cart to pick out a set of Play-Doh Wednesday as she and classmate Sara Avila, 4, shop at Target with McKenzie Atchinson. The shopping was part of an outing for Deerfield Elementary School preschoolers to buy gifts for children as part of the Kearny County Christmas Star program.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Isaah Vera, 4, left, holds an item up to scan the price as he and Noah Dorsey, 4, and Garnett Hartman, right, figure out the total price of items the picked out Wednesday at Target. The trio were among the Deerfield Elementary School preschoolers, staff and parents to purchase gifts for children. Hartman is a Kearny County school resource officer.
"This one's pretty cool," Morgan Butteris said to her daughter, Kadence Butteris, 5, and another preschooler, Orcha Rodden, 5, at Target on Wednesday afternoon. They were looking at a Barbie dressed in pink with a pony that had pink hair.
They also browsed an aisle that had stuffed animals. Orcha and Kadence giggled at a stuffed Koala bear that talked.
A group of 19 preschoolers from Deerfield Elementary School shopped in Garden City after the elementary school raised $535.50 for the Kearny County Christmas Star, which gives Christmas gifts to children in Kearny County.
The preschool class raised the most in the school, $203.34, so they were in charge of shopping, said Amy DeLaRosa, principal at Deerfield Elementary School.
This is the fifth year the elementary school has raised money for the program.
DeLaRosa said she requested from the Kearny County Health Department, which runs the Christmas Star program, that the class shop for kids within their own age range and not older than 6.
Kadence Butteris and Rodden shopped for a 4-year-old girl. They looked at Polly Pockets and Hannah Montana gear, books, markers and crayons. Morgan Butteris said she was concerned about the small pieces of some of the toys and instructed the girls to look at other toys.
They picked out a Barbie doll with several pet dogs and a Princess coloring book with markers and crayons.
Children in pairs of two lined the toy aisles at Target with an adult to pick out the best toys for the holiday season.
Each group of two preschoolers had $50 to shop, DeLaRosa said, and the group shopped for nine kids total. She also said there was $59 left over, which the school will donate to the Christmas Star program.
DeLaRosa said she explained to the preschoolers that they weren't shopping for themselves. She said she told them to be Santa's special elves.
"Some kids have no presents under the tree. Their job was to help Santa put gifts under the tree," DeLaRosa said.
The class bought Hot Wheel cars, baby dolls, Dora the Explorer toys, puzzles, Play-Doh, soccer balls and basketballs, and some kids picked out clothing, DeLaRosa said.
"My goal as a principal is to try to teach kids that the world is not all about them receiving from everybody else. Part of life is giving back to people, being a part of your community and supporting people in need," DeLaRosa said.
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