Christmas socials are probably the most anticipated event for students on the academic calendar but this year the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted that traditional end-of-year celebration, until a teacher of St. Thomas Moore Primary School decided to take the party home to her students.
As tradition has it, goodies and presents are delivered to children by Santa Claus, but with an impossibly busy schedule, June Herod, a grade 1 teacher at the D’Urban Street school, stepped in and decided she would not allow COVID-19 to affect her students’ Christmas celebrations.
Decked out in her Mrs Claus attire and accompanied by her 18-month-old nephew in his Santa Claus outfit, they distributed gifts to her students, who reside in proximity to the school.
Herod, a trained special needs educator, in a recent interview said she recognised that this year has been difficult for her students as online schooling presented many challenges.
“We have had a hard year and I decided that my students needed a treat, so when I told my family of the idea my brother and his friend stepped in and contributed towards the presents and my outfit,” she disclosed.
“I didn’t want the students feel depressed at Christmas so I tried my best to take the joys of Christmas to their homes and they were so excited… even their parents were surprised to see me in the Santa suit… It brought so much joy to me and the children,” she said speaking of the experience.
But while the students enjoyed a virtual party from the comfort of their homes and received their gifts, Herod said the Christmas celebration spanned three days where she organised a virtual movie day and a talent show.
“I had to make it enjoyable for them because this has been a challenging year for all of us. So I spoke with the parents and they agreed to the proposal and we had an enjoyable time,” she related.
But her students were not the only ones that benefitted, as Herod pointed out that when she reached out to parents she enquired whether there were additional children in the homes.
“We didn’t want any child in the homes to feel left out so we included them in the activities we had and they were happy too… in total I was able to reach out and spread the joy for about 30 children,” said Herod who has been a teacher for the past 12 years.
However, Herod, is not quite finished playing Mrs Claus just yet as a friend, Sonia Williams, has begun to support her Christmas Cheer project which started in 2019.
“Last year she sent toys for my students after they wrote letters to Santa Claus and got exactly what they wanted but this year we are looking to deliver hampers to the students and families in addition to the toys,” she related.
Herod, said the programme will not only cater to her students at the St. Thomas Moore Primary School but will also be extended to the David Rose Special Needs School where she has spent 11 years of her career.
“David Rose Special Needs School and the students there hold a close spot in my heart so when my friend decided to extend her contribution I was happy to extend it to the students at the special needs school,” Herod explained.
She noted that 2020 has been extremely challenging for special needs students during the pandemic and it is only fair they too enjoy the delights of Christmas.
“We are right now trying to get some tax exemptions before clearing the cargoes and hopefully we can get it delivered to all the students in time for the holiday,” she said with optimism.
Her Wish
But while Herod is on a mission to grant the Christmas wishes of her students, she has a wish of her own, which is for a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Special Education.
“I have spent almost my entire career as a special needs educator and I love working with these children. It is always so much to see them react to the little things we take for granted. But while I am qualified in this field as an educator, I believe I can contribute more to being a facilitator. This is why I am seeking to further [my] studies in the area.
“Guyana does not have a lot of qualified special needs educators and I believe I can make a difference here because I can train others to meet the needs of these students. Every child has a right to access education and learn at their comfort but we need qualified teachers to help them do that,” Herod passionately declared.
Herod further pointed out that from volunteering with the Guyana Society of the Blind and working with special needs children, she has recognised that much more needs to be done to give them the opportunity to feel as if they are a part of the general population.
This is what motivates her to further develop herself and pursue studies in this area.
