Kindergarten and first-grade students at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School got an early visit from Santa Claus’s sleigh full of toys at the annual DLA holiday party last Thursday.
About 30 military and civilian employees dropped off presents and partook in holiday activities with 161 students. They also dropped off school supplies for six classrooms to help out the teachers.
The holiday party is a longstanding annual tradition of DLA Troop Support in its partnership with the school. Each year volunteers from DLA connect with teachers to ask them what supplies they need and to figure out the toys they will buy for their students.
Presents included characters from Marvel, Barbie, Disney princesses, Batman, Spider-Man, Frozen and toy cars.
“We want to make sure each kid gets something they like,” said Shaun Eagan of DLA.
Classroom supplies included writing paper, graphing paper and crayons.
“Paper is like gold to us,” said first-grade teacher Iris Figueroa, who said teachers often end up buying their own supplies. Figueroa said she is still using the graphing paper she got at last year’s party.
Activities include creating snowmen and Christmas tree ornaments as well as playing games like Simon Says. ••
