EDMOND —
Students at Orvis Risner Elementary School witnessed a Winter Extravaganza as never seen before.
Students were assigned Bigs and Littles, four to a group. The Bigs took the Littles to play the carnival games in the various rooms and helped them on the inflatables in the school and gymnasium provided by New Covenant United Methodist Church.
Santa stopped by leaving presents for each of the 680 students. All of the student-appropriate presents was chosen with the help of the students’ teachers who collected money to purchase 200 of the gifts. The OU Medical Center donated 50 gifts and the members of Memorial Road Church of Christ donated 450 presents.
All of the presents were displayed at New Covenant next door to the school where the teachers picked out a gift for each child.
“The gifts were traditional, age-appropriate board games so the students could play games with their families,” said Principal Shana Perry, “or sports equipment to get our students moving.”
On Wednesday night the teachers were joined by New Covenant members and members from the First Baptist Church as each of the presents was wrapped.
“First Baptist helps our students with food baskets for the long breaks,” Perry said. “With their help we provide 80 food-filled backpacks each week and 30 food baskets over extended breaks.”
Fifteen parents logging 15 hours or more volunteer time each were given blue S.W.A.G. Master T-shirts before Perry read “Thank You, Mr. Falker,” by Patricia Polacco.
Presents didn’t stop with the students who also received a mitten with an eagle on it from the PTA. Each teacher received one of Polacco’s books from the administrative staff and a lanyard with the name of the teacher and an 8 ounce bear-shaped jar of honey from a local distributor, Chitwood Farms.
The honey was appropriate because in the book Perry read to the students Polacco wrote, “... honey is sweet, so is knowledge ... .”
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Related Photos
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Santa passes out gifts to students at Orvis Risner Elementary on Friday.
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Orvis Risner Elementary School Principal Shana Perry listens to her students recite the 8 Expectations for Living the students follow to achieve greatness before Perry introduced the 15 parents receiving S.W.A.G. T-shirts for volunteering more than 15 hours each during the first semester.
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Kylie Smith and Justice Bever sit on Justice's great-grandmother's lap while waiting for Orvis Risner's Winter Extravaganza to begin Friday.
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Orvis Risner first-grade teacher Cynthia Griffith hands out presents to the students in her class. Each student received a board game, a more traditional present to encourage families to spend time together or a piece of athletic equipment encouraging the students to get moving.
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Ella Nabershaus, Kyema DeShazer, LaTrecia Lewis and her mother Raevyn Lewis wait for Orvis Risner Elementary School's Winter Extravaganza to begin Friday. Amid singing, story telling and Santa visiting, the students and teachers all received gifts.
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Orvis Risner Elementary School kindergarten teacher Alexis Berckmann hands out presents to the students in her class. Santa with the help of his local elves made sure each child received a gift.
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PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Santa passes out gifts to students at Orvis Risner Elementary on Friday.
Discussion
Orvis Risner hosts Winter Extravaganza
Santa passes out 680 gifts
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