"Faculty and staff from the Cold Spring Elementary School should be acknowledged and applauded for truly getting into the holiday spirit this year," Principal Jay Glynn said.

Instead of students giving their teachers holiday gifts, the students this year donated those gifts to charity. The Grace Smith House and Hudson River Housing are the two non-profit organizations that the gifts were collected for. These two houses provide shelter and refuge for runaways, and the abused and neglected.

Students help community

At the beginning of December, the Character Education Committee recognized the fact that local charities were in need of assistance. Character education is a program mandated to all elementary schools by the New York State Education Department. Their theme this year is "watch us grow."

Glynn said growth in the slogan refers to personal, emotional, spiritual and education growth, as well as individual growth and growth as an elementary school.

The idea of giving to the needy instead of the teachers was extremely successful Glynn said. He said the students and faculty exceeded his expectations and collected diapers, hats, gloves, shampoo, toilet paper, toys, art supplies, hats and scarves.

Glynn said the donations "kept coming." On Dec. 15, the last of the gifts were collected from the students. The student council sorted and boxed the gifts last week. The boxes were then distributed to the Grace Smith House and Hudson River Housing.

Glynn said students, parents and school faculty also gave generously to the Adopt a Family Program. The program's coordinator, Linda Dixon, is a psychologist in the Pine Plains Central School District.

"I am proud to be a member of this most caring community," said Glynn. He said the students' generosity has inspired Seymour Smith Elementary School to collect donations for the needy next year.