Secret Santa Shop teaches important Christmas lessons

The Christmas season is full of lessons, and at the top of the list is learning to put others first.

As we use the Advent season to prepare for Christmas, students at BCS are taking to heart the hope, peace, joy, and love symbolized by the candles of the Advent wreath. It’s fitting that the annual Secret Santa Shop at BCS took place this year during the second week of Advent.

A joint effort between the Parent Teacher Group and Gospa Missions of Evans City, this year’s event was a two-day shopping opportunity for students to peruse faith-based gifts like prayer cards and crosses for the important people in their lives.

“We want to help the kids see religious things in a store setting,” explained Mary Rutkoski, who leads the non-profit Gospa Missions. “And we try to introduce them to helping other people.”

Secret Santa Shop makes that possible because the proceeds of each sale go to several humanitarian causes. They help to fund the work Gospa does for orphanages and schools around the world while also acting as supplemental funding for educational opportunities at BCS.

Providing students with an in-school Christmas shopping event has been tradition at BCS for many years. But it’s only been within the last four or five that this particular event has focused on teaching students about Gospa Missions and showing them how they’re able to help.

Rutkoski said the idea really started with Kim Ferguson, a parent of BCS alumni who’s been part of Secret Santa Shop for years.

“It started out well and it was a good fundraiser for the mission,” Ferguson recalled.

Fifth graders Quinn Stewart and Gabrielle Weiland spent their shopping time working together to pick out gifts for friends and family.

“It’s fun to shop!” said Gabrielle.

“And to give gifts to our families,” Quinn added.

For Rutkoski, getting to see how excited kids are to make gift lists and budget their money while putting others first is the best part of the event. Seeing things like older students helping younger students and parents volunteering to wrap gifts is a testament to how the Christmas spirit comes alive.

“It’s terrific to be part of this!” Rutkoski concluded.