A Christmas lesson in giving

By Carrie A. Mizell

Third-grade students at Trenton Elementary School learned what it means to be good citizens this week as they made Christmas cards for hospital patients who will spend Christmas at North Florida Regional Medical Center.

Students in Ms. Corbin’s third-grade class show off the Christmas cards they made
for patients at North Florida Regional Medical Center.

North Florida Regional Medical Center invited Trenton Elementary School to partner with them this holiday season for a Christmas Card Exchange. In doing so, the 125 third-grade students at TES created Christmas cards and banners, utilizing supplies provided by the Gainesville based hospital.
“We are using this opportunity to teach our students about community service and the responsibility we have, as citizens, to serve our communities,” explained Riley Deen, principal of TES.

Jacquelyn Kincaid works on a banner in Mr. Henley’s class.

Along with making cards for patients, students in each of the six third-grade classes worked on banners that will hang in the lobby of North Florida Regional Medical Center over the holidays. Like the Christmas cards, each class’ banner was unique. Connie Corbin’s class worked on picture window panels that look like stained glass for their banner, while Amie Bachle’s class painted their hands green and stamped them on a banner to look like holly.
As Dot Barron told her third grade students while they worked on their lavish Christmas cards, “You would be surprised what a difference the cards you create will make in someone’s life this Christmas.”