Gingerly helping out orphans

Forgoing their usual Christmas project of gingerbread houses, students at Pegasus create gift boxes for those in need.For one hour on Friday, the 64 third-graders at the Pegasus School turned themselves into 64 little elves.

In past years, the third-grade holiday project has been for the students to get together and build gingerbread houses. But this year, the children instead took the time to give back to the less fortunate. All the students spent an hour putting together and wrapping gift boxes for orphans.

Elise Roche, 9, of Newport Beach said they were creating the gift boxes so needy children would have at least one present to open on Christmas morning.

It makes her sad that there are children out there who might not get presents, she said. “But I’m glad we’re doing this for them.”

One of the third-grade teachers, Elaine Sarkin, came up with the idea and said she hopes it will become an annual tradition. Her son works for the Children’s Defense Fund and lobbies for children’s rights in California, so she said she knows firsthand the injustices many children face and how many are left feeling unwanted and unloved around the holidays.

Sue Harrison, the school’s director of advancement, said all the gift items were purchased by the school, but students will take part in a campus cleanup project to pay back the school. That way, they’ll know that the gifts weren’t free.

Harrison said she feels the children will get a lot more out of this activity than they would from building gingerbread houses.

“They just loved it,” Sarkin said. “They didn’t mind giving up the gingerbread houses. We’re making a difference.”

Before the students began assembling the boxes and wrapping the gifts, Sarkin read them an inspiring passage from Marian Wright Edelman’s book “I Can Make a Difference” -- a compilation of stories, poems, songs, quotations and folk tales that let children know they can help change the world.

The teachers had originally planned on sending the gift boxes to Hurricane Katrina victims but heard that group was receiving plenty of presents. They’ve decided instead to drop them off at an orphanage in San Clemente or Tijuana.

“Every child is getting a coloring book, a puzzle, crayons, pencils, socks, a Santa hat, a candy cane and some playing cards,” said Debbie Morgan, a teaching assistant.

Lauren Tallichet, 9, of Newport Beach said she loved wrapping the gifts. She said she’s glad she and her classmates will make a difference in some children’s lives by giving them books and games.

20051215irgrznknWENDI KAMINSKI / INDEPENDENT(LA)Huntington Beach resident Raquel Makler, 8, puts together her box of goodies for a gift-wrapping project in which her third-grade class took part. The boxes contain candy, socks, coloring books and other items.