Notre Dame school Christmas store returns

By SAMANTHA JOHNSON Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 14, 2022.

The Christmas Store was set up in the Notre Dame Academy library with the Grade 8 and 9 students from Notre Dame showing the kindergarten and Grade 1 students from St. Louis School around and helping them purchase Christmas gifts. The wrapping table was a busy place when the News showed up, with the Notre Dame students taking special care to wrap the gifts perfectly for the St. Louis students.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON

Notre Dame Academy School held its Christmas Store on Tuesday with kindergarten and Grade 1 students arriving from St. Louis School to partake in shopping and other festivities.

“It’s part of our school’s call to serve and getting our kids involved in the community,” said Vice principal Lon Bosch.

In the weeks prior to the store, students at Notre Dame collected items from families and friends to bring in to school. Each year, a different elementary school from the division is invited, which brings its youngest students to do some Christmas shopping.

“Stuff is super cheap, a quarter or fifty cents,” explained Bosch. “They do their Christmas shopping and then our Grade 7s and 8s do the wrapping. They greet them at the door and bring them up in groups and walk them through the store.”

The school also had different stations set up for Christmas activities. In the gym was a games section, one classroom was dedicated to face painting, and another to decorating cookies. The Grade 9 students were busy last week baking 200 gingerbread cookies for the kids to decorate. Another popular booth was the one serving up hot chocolate and other Christmas treats.

This year, Notre Dame will donate all money raised to a local family struggling with medical bills.