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Santa shows up for quick visit
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
Zachary Riehl of Lusby was happy to get a gift from Santa Claus on Friday at the Calvert Country School. The Knights of Columbus Calvert Council 7870 and Lord Baltimore Assembly sponsored the visit by St. Nick and funded the gifts.
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"Do you hear the sleigh bells?" music teacher Lisa Wright asked students at the Prince Frederick special education school prior to Santa's grand entrance.
"Remember, if you're a teenager, don't sit on Santa, sit next to Santa," Wright said.
Calvert Country School Principal Debbie Soper said that the event, which is arranged and funded by the Knights of Columbus, has been going on for several years.
Soper said that in a time when the holidays have become more and more secular, she liked that her school was able to acknowledge a beloved Christmas tradition for the sake of its students.
"It's not always politically correct to do this but these kids can't always go to the mall — the lines can be too long or it's too crowded — so it's really nice that we can continue to do this," she said.
Soper explained that along with donating the refreshments and Santa himself, the Knights of Columbus also donate money for each student's present.
She said that once the school had the money, a teacher went out and bought various items including clothes, books, puzzles and even some "funny hats."
"We try to customize it as much as we can," Soper said of the presents, which are selected to match each student's interests.
She said that some of the students also had a hand in the special event as, "Santa's workshop is in the [school's] workshop area, so some of the kids actually wrapped the presents.
"It's been quite the event," Soper said.
Instructional assistant Cindy Duty helped a few students unwrap their gifts and said that this was always an event filled with "lots of big smiles."
"… One of them just ran across the room," Duty grinned.
Not all kids, however, made a beeline for St. Nick; some clung to their teachers while others accepted their gifts from a distance.
Walt Jackson of Huntingtown, a member of the Knights of Columbus, said these types of reactions were to be expected with some youngsters.
"I think they're just a little anxious, rather than scared," he said.
Fellow Knights of Columbus member, Tony Graziosi of Huntingtown said that he can remember his organization's affiliation with Calvert Country School spanning several decades.
"We get about as much enjoyment as the kids do," Graziosi said.
And the kids definitely enjoyed themselves.
Fourth grader Elizabeth Pollitt of Prince Frederick got some new art supplies and her teacher, Candy Turner, surmised that Santa must have known about the 9-year-old's interest in arts and crafts.
"He's nice," Elizabeth said of Mr. Claus, prompting her teacher to ask "Do you believe now?"
Elizabeth looked at Turner skeptically for a minute and then smiled and gave a little nod.
And Isaiah Orr, 7, of Prince Frederick could not put his new volleyball down.
"I love my volleyball; I'm going to bring it every day … even [make] it bounce. I'm going to make it go round and round and round until it stops," the third grader said as he spun the ball on a table.
