Decking the halls of Heaton in Christmas Costumes and helping make this summer better for people and animals in need, showing gratitude and giving.

On Friday, 10 December students and staff were invited to dress in their decorative best and bring a gold coin for charity. In addition to this the Art Room Elves had been busy organising Candy Cane Gratitude Cards. In return for a gold coin, students and staff were able to express their gratitude to a friend or colleague who had supported them throughout this last year. Their message would be written by an elf in an elf-made card, a candy cane attached, and then delivered to the sound of sleigh bells to their classroom or the staff room. Elves also ran a jewellery stall and sold elf-made porcelain ceramic decoration. Food and care items were collected for the Christchurch City Mission Foodbank and the SPCA. Khyla Room 10 and Zoffya Room 7 helped take the 486 items collected to the  Foodbank. The Elves also sent a Candy Cane Gratitude Card to the staff at the City Mission thanking them for their work all year long. 41 items were donated to the SPCA.

The elves raised over $200 dollars from the cards and another $100 from their jewellery and decoration sales. In total $620 was raised. Many thanks to the elves and the media team for the photos.

The best present is the one that you give.

Fiona Taylor

Being an Art Elf has been a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to try new things and get more involved in the school. We have really enjoyed our times being Art Elves and being able to create cards and write other people's gratitude messages. It has been great getting to know some of the Year 7’s who have also become art elves. Going to the City Mission was an amazing chance to see where our canned food donations really go and thank those who do a lot to keep the City Mission going. If you are a Year 7 and didn’t have the opportunity to be an Art Elf this year, we would really encourage you to be one next year. There is no way you can not enjoy something so fun, creative and amazing. It has been a difficult year, but being an Art Elf has brightened up the end, seeing the smiles on everyone's faces and joy it brought to the City Mission staff to have 486 items of food brought to them!

Finally, and most importantly we would like to thank Mrs. Taylor, throughout this whole experience she was the one that ‘brightened it up’, if it was sneaky Elf food or just her Christmas cheer and smile. It was something we will remember for our whole lives.

Thank you so much Mrs. Taylor!!!

By Khyla (Room 10) and Zoffya (Room 7)