My name is Thomas C., and I am a high school sophomore in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Every year around the beginning of December we have something called Holiday Festival. Holiday Festival has been a tradition for over 20 years. Holiday Festival an event at our school when high school students get assigned a student from Roberto Clemente Elementary school, which is located in Patterson, New Jersey. When you get assigned a student you are given a list of some things that they would like for Christmas, which include; dolls, board games, sports equipment, and other things. Once you are given this list you go to a store and shop for the presents. On a set date, the children are bussed to the high school where they first see a play that is put on by some students. After they see the play, they are taken to meet up with their assigned high school student and have lunch and then are taken by high schoolers around the school to see different things, such as cookie decorating and present shopping.

After you have lunch there are many things for the kids to do. First you go to your assigned room and open the presents you got for your kid. Then, in the gym there are bounce castles that the kids can play on and other fun activities. If you don’t want to bounce then you could go to the cafeteria, where there are other fun mini games, cookie decorating, face paint, and tattoos (fake ones). When you are done playing and visiting the aforementioned activities you can go into the quite study room where the Roberto Clemente kids can pick out a stuffed animal. After picking out their stuffed friend, you can go to the library to get gifts for the rest of their family. You go in and look around the tables and find different things that your family members would like. After they have picked out their gifts, you may go into the other room and get your presents rapped. Once you get the presents that your family will love, you can go to the senior commons (a room where seniors go to hang out) and get a picture with Santa and Mrs. Clause. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. At around 1:30 pm you need to escort your kid outside and make sure they get onto their assigned bus. Once they are sitting in their seat on the bus the high schoolers return to their class.

I am extremely happy that my school does holiday festival and that I get to play a part in it. After talking to my peers that also partake in the festival, I can confidently say that they too, are glad to be a part of such a wonderful experience. Since we are so fortunate with everything we have; good school, food on the table, extra money to spend, etc. This is a good way to help those that aren’t as lucky as we are. It teaches kids to give back to those that need it and not to take anything for granted. To me, this is something that every high school, that is capable, should partake in.