The last week of school before Christmas was a very special one, for our teachers and students alike. On December 19th, the T.E.A.R.S. School teachers took a trip to Santiago, each having been given a budget to spend on gifts for their students.
After an excited and chatty bus ride, we pulled up next to an enormous building, with the title: ‘Mundo del Juguete’ (Toy World). I think everyone’s pupils dilated a little, sizing up the monstrous sight; the massive red letters upon the front wall were about the size of the people entering and exiting below.
Upon entering, the teachers spent about forty minutes in aisle one, bright pink and overstuffed with dolls. They continued to scope everything out with similar thoroughness, carrying little calculators and lists, making sure they would have enough to buy an awesome gift for everyone in the class. Everything ended up taking way longer than we had expected it to; the teachers decided to take advantage of a ‘free gift wrapping’ stall nearby, which tacked on an extra hour and a half, at the least. For Greisy, though, it was a no-brainer. The opportunity was just too good to pass up.
The sun had set by the time we returned to the barrio, our bus stuffed to the roof with bags of gifts, filling up three or four aisles in the back. We unloaded them and headed off to sleep, everyone more or less limping on tired feet after our shopping marathon.
When the 21st of December came around, it was time for the students to receive their gifts. During the morning, every teacher seriously went all-out with decorations and preparations, filling tables with apples, candy and bags of treats; putting up balloons and stockings, hooking up stereos and searching for Santa hats to try on.
The children were wildly energized even prior to opening their gifts, dancing and enjoying food plates with cookies and salami (this was the first time I had ever seen such a mixture, but the little ones gulped it all down cheerfully). The teachers proceeded to call each student by name, relishing the moment when their faces lit up and became filled with laughter, frantically tearing away at the packaging to try out a new Remote Controlled Super-Power 4×4 Quad or a Christmas Princess Barbie Doll.
After the joyous moments of savoring their new toys, the students were sent off with warm farewells. ‘Merry Christmas,’ shouted Rosemary, ‘and enjoy your break! See you in the New Year!’
‘And don’t forget to study lots!’ added Aneudy, his cries echoing down the long hallway as all the little ones charged home.
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 12th, 2008 at 11:49 am and is filed under T.E.A.R.S. School. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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