NCAE News Bulletin
8
Holiday Gifts from Students… Members Share the Most Memorable Ones Received
From practical and personal to silly and sentimental, the gifts educators receive during the holidays can definitely leave a lasting impression. Members were asked to share their most memorable gifts, and in the spirit of the season, you delivered! “I received an old 4/5th’s empty bottle of cologne. I had a male student (from a very poor family) whose father died in September and he gave me this as a gift because it was all he could afford.” – Martin Efrid, Cabarrus County
“One of my students donated money to a project to bring clean water to people in Third World countries. Another student who was in my AP Chemistry class, bought me a highball glass with the structural formula for ethanol. On it was etched, ‘I like to look smart when I drink.’ He was the valedictorian for the class of 2020 and was named a Star Student, who selected me as his Star Teacher.” – Bobby Padgett, Gaston County
“This is my 41st holiday season and for three decades I have taught ESL students. A few years back, my Beginning ESL class created a holiday card topped with a huge candy cane stick, like the kind you see in drug stores. Each student took the initiative to write their message in English regardless of their proficiency level. There were messages of different cultural and religious beliefs. It was a true celebration of their joy, hope, and thanks from the hearts of my students. That’s what the holiday season, across all cultures, is all about, and I felt truly blessed to have these students in my life to enrich it in many ways.” – Marian Anderson, Buncombe County “A set of red-yarn coasters was given to me by a student whose younger sister died months before Christmas. Imagine my surprise when she approached me before the holiday break and handed me the four coasters with a simple smile and a gentle ‘thank you.’ I picture her precious heart dealing with the loss of her sister as she completed each stitch, and I am reminded that we are there for each other even when we don’t realize it.” – Athena Rogers, Cumberland County
“I received my most memorable holiday gift in 2009 while I was teaching at Al Ibdaa Montessori School in Aleppo, Syria. That year, we were going to school the day of Christmas Eve. Unbeknownst to me, this really concerned my middle school boys, who were worried that I would be terribly homesick because I couldn’t go back to the U.S. to see my family. After much discussion and without any suggestions or help from an adult, the boys decided to throw me a surprise Christmas party. I walked into my last class of the day, just a couple of hours before Christmas Eve, to find my boys holding big bags of candy, wearing party hats (most of which said Happy Birthday) and blowing noisemakers, and singing a very off-key rendition of ‘Jingle Bells.’” – Lori Brenneise-Jabakji, McDowell County
“I received a coffee mug with a cat on it that says ‘Cattitude,’ which I use every day when I make my morning latte. As the mother of five cats, it says a lot about what goes on at home daily. Thank you, Aliana!” – Celia Rowland, Wake County
“I received two very memorable gifts I want to mention. One of my students wrote me a beautiful note one year that said their family was donating canned goods to the food bank in my honor (I volunteer at shelters). Another note mentioned that I always made the student feel special and that she was donating a can of food to her church’s food drive. She wrote my name on the can. I have saved every note ever written by a student. The notes and random acts of kindness are very special.” – Betty Jo Moore, Forsyth County
