Operation Santa helped K-4 students at Woodland schools celebrate the holidays despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teachers and staff in the district worked to make Operation Santa a success.
Woodland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Green took on the role of Santa Claus for Woodland’s Operation Santa.
Using a combination of teamwork and holiday magic, teachers and administrative staff at Woodland Public Schools spread holiday cheer to kindergarten through fourth grade students at the district’s three elementary schools with Operation Santa. The event was created to provide students and staff with holiday spirit during a year when families and friends are staying home due to COVID-19 restrictions.
North Fork Elementary School Principal Denise Pearl and Columbia Elementary Principal David Starkey, along with Elementary Assistant Principal Darcy Soto, wanted to do something special for their students before the holiday break.
“Our students have been working so hard, and with virtual learning, many of them have missed out on the holiday fun that happens at the elementary level,” Starkey said in a news release. “We wanted to do something to remind them that we care about them, love them, and support them.”
“Usually, the last week of school before vacation is filled with holiday activities and celebrations which our virtual students were going to miss out on this year,” Pearl said. “Usually, Santa visits our holiday concerts, so we wanted to find a way to still celebrate with our students, even if we couldn’t have them in school.”
For Operation Santa Claus, students and their families drove up to the entrance of their elementary school to be greeted by Superintendent Michael Green as Santa Claus and other principals dressed as elves and teachers in full holiday attire. While still strictly practicing social distancing and wearing masks, Santa greeted each student and gave them a new book donated by the Scholastic Corporation and a candy cane. In addition, Facilities Director Scott Landrigan donated lights and decorations to cover the schools in holiday cheer.
The result was a holiday miracle.
“Operation Santa was a huge hit,” Starkey said. “The students loved it, the families appreciated, and the staff enjoyed it — I had one particular staff member tell me, ‘This is amazing. We have to do this every year.’”
At North Fork Elementary School, students lined up to see the show, and turnout was better than expected. Traffic lined the street for the two hours the district ran the event. All involved point to the support of the district as a whole for making the event happen.
“We had volunteers including district office staff, teachers from other schools, instructional assistants, and custodians who all wrapped gifts for our students,” Starkey said. “The entire event was a true team effort and I could not be more proud of our team at Woodland Public Schools.”
K-4 students unable to attend Operation Santa Claus on the day of the event will receive their special gifts when they come back to school in the new year.
