Oxford News

The holiday season may have come to an end, but more than 400 Bogan Elementary students recently spent an afternoon spreading cheer by giving back to the community.

Part of an ongoing program at the elementary school, December's schoolwide theme of "service to others" saw students crafting cards, lap blankets, tray liners, chocolates and even pet treats for area residents and organizations.

"Every month we pick out a different developmental asset like integrity, honesty or responsibility," Principal Dee Lancaster said. "We decided for December that every classroom would choose a service project they wanted to do to give back to the community. The moral has been that it's better to give than to receive."

Students met with instructors to discuss how they could be of service to others, then crafted concrete plans within their respective classrooms. The student-made products were then dispersed throughout the community to nursing homes, McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital and animal shelters.

When original plans for students to bake their own pet treats fell through, the first-graders handling the project made slight alterations.

"We went out and purchased the treats and instead had students focus on decorating paper bags and filling them with the pet treats," Lancaster said.

Students in Kari Cooper's second-grade class found a way to show appreciation to district personnel, molding chocolates for cafeteria workers, office staff and Mary Lou Bogan, widow of the school's namesake.

Abbi Johnson, 7, said she had never made chocolates, but said she was excited to share the decadent treats with people who don't always get recognition for their efforts.

""We've been learning about giving stuff to other people and also being thankful for what we have," she said.