“Santa! Santa! Santa!” The chant echoed down the halls of Wayne A. Cox Elementary on Dec. 9 as students in Mrs. Hatla’s first grade class prepared for a special guest from the North Pole.
In a year where students, teachers and parents have had to adapt school activities and adopt safety measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, an in-person visit just wasn’t in the cards.
But thanks to the Santa’s Virtual Workshop contest hosted by Good Morning Texas, these first graders got to experience the next best thing: a Zoom call with Santa.
Students shared ways that they have worked hard to get on the “Nice List” this year, and reminded Santa of their holiday wishes, which included a live snake, Barbie dreamhouse, Beyblades and more.
Santa shared details about the personalities of his reindeer, a weather report from the North Pole, and some encouragement.
“Using your imagination is one of the best things you can do,” he told the class. “You can have fun with whatever you can imagine.”
Santa also encouraged students to continue to grow their reading skills — something for which Mrs. Hatla said she’s very proud of her students.
Principal Chrisa Oakley said she’s grateful for opportunities like this that help keep the magic alive for students despite the challenging year they’ve had.
“The sense of joy and imagination this time of year brings to our building is so important,” she said. Things have looked different, but we are trying to make sure the magic is there.”