Along with all of the festive games and activities that were planned for the ICA Christmas party, this year the elementary department also included the story The Sparkle Box by Jill Hardie. As the main character, Sam, anxiously awaits Christmas, his mother records the good deeds he completes throughout the season and adds them to the sparkle box. When Sam finally opens the box on Christmas morning, what he finds inside sheds light on the true meaning of Christmas.
The students who attended our Christmas party for all of the festivities were asked to think of the gifts they have given to others that were truly gifts to the Christ child. Students expressed that they participated in many acts of kindness throughout the Christmas season. Some volunteered at nursing homes, while others gave food to their local food pantry or soup kitchen. Some students shared their toys or showed kindness to their friends and siblings. All of these acts of love were done in honor of Jesus' birthday and could easily fill up a sparkle box.
A few students who attended the party created their own sparkle boxes and shared their creations with the group. Like Sam from the story, Ivey, Sarah, and Andy created sparkle boxes with their families and filled them with Christ-like behaviors that were given as a gift to Jesus.
Ivey's Sparkle Box
Andy's Sparkle Box
Sarah's Sparkle Box