Students at Vernon Center Middle School had a chance to do some holiday gift shopping for loved ones and friends at the school’s annual Holiday Share, where the currency is “eagle bucks” that students earn for adhering to the school’s core values.
For most VCMS students, those eagle bucks accumulate and they bring a fistful to the Holiday Share, held this year on the school’s auditorium stage. Items up for sale included toys, home goods, jewelry, housewares and games.
Holiday Share started about 15 years ago with donations from staff and friends, said Christina Roy, a social studies teacher. “Every year it gets bigger and bigger,” she said.
Roy works to organize Holiday Share with Terri Schmitt, a computer teacher. But they could not do it without colleagues, school staff and even retired teachers who play critical roles in making the four-day event happen.
Schmitt has dreams to make it even bigger next year by involving members of the Vernon Senior Center. She and Roy will get to work on next year’s event as soon as they finishing packing up this year’s Holiday Share.
Roy said she loves watching kids help each other as they make purchases. Invariably one student comes up a few eagle bucks short and a friend will help them out. “It’s magical,” she said.
Students love it too. On their own, they can buy gifts for sisters, brothers and parents.
Mackenzie, a sixth grader, said she usually gives gifts she buys when she is out with her parents. Sometimes her parents buy the gifts they’ll be receiving from her.
Holiday Share changes that. “I think it’s really cool to buy gifts for your family,” Mackenzie said. “They can open gifts and have it be a real surprise instead of acting surprised.”
Island, another sixth grader, agreed. “It’s kind of fun to get gifts for others and have it be a surprise,” she said.
Sixth grader Summer did her shopping on Thursday. “Since everything is half off, I got a lot of gifts to give,” she said.
Kids can even get the gifts they purchase giftwrapped thanks to the volunteers who staff Holiday Share.