A little girl excitedly wakes up on Christmas morning and races down the stairs to see what Santa has left for her. Her eyes twinkle at the sight of the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree.

“The glow of a child’s eyes on Christmas morning is worth all the effort that goes into the season,” science teacher Tim Perry said. Perry’s advisory donates toys to the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation every year during the holiday season.

For senior Kiana Wright, a student in Perry’s advisory, the best part about doing this project is “picking out the toy for the kids.”

Perry’s advisory is not the only one helping the less fortunate. Spanish teacher Deirdre Magner’s advisory is collecting items for the elderly. The items that Magner’s advisory gathers will go to the Little Sisters of the Poor.

“I could not imagine not having someone there to take care of me, so knowing that I am making a difference in people’s lives is my favorite part about this project,” senior Sierra Ficca said.

Enhance teacher Ann Drummey’s advisory decided to do something different by makingdog beds and donating them to the Humane Society.

“I like how it’s something different and that we are actually involved in it,” sophomore Morgan Broman said.

Spanish teacher Danica Attanasio’s and Principal Madelyn Ball’s advisories are collecting items that food stamps don’t cover. These include laundry detergent, pillows, and shampoo.

“We decided to do this project so that we could give to those who are less fortunate during this holiday season,” Attanasio said.

During this season, several advisories have decided to adopt families for Christmas. Science teacher Julie Baker’s advisory adopted a family because they “wanted to help someone who needed it,” according to Baker.

Math and science teacher Courtney Hugo and senior project coordinator Louise Géczy’s advisories teamed up and also adopted a family for Christmas as well.

According to Géczy, they “like knowing that they have a positive impact on someone else’s life.”

According to Director of Enrollment Kim Brueggemann, her advisory decided to adopt a family because “it is Christmas-time, and we should give to others in need.” Also, adopting a family for Christmas “is something [my] advisory does as a group every year, and it brings us closer together,” Brueggemann said.

“My favorite part is being able to deliver the gifts to the family and see their reaction. It just makes the experience much more personal,” junior Rachel Weskalnies, a member of Brueggemann’s advisory, said.

According to religion teacher Christopher Yeung, “Christmas is about the birth of hope in the human heart. It should transform us for the better.”

Shannon Olsen is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.