节日常与礼物联系在一起, 几个月来，零售商一直在宣传这一信息. But for the Ashley Hall community, this time of year is not about receiving. 这是十大网赌平台推荐给予.

每年12月，持续了20多年, Ashley Hall has partnered with Chicora Elementary School in North Charleston to spread the joy of the season with its 330 students. 被称为奇科拉送礼计划, this tradition is marked by various holiday assemblies throughout campus and the donation of hundreds of gifts from the School community. But this year, students were reminded that this Ashley Hall tradition is not one of collecting gifts, 而是人与人之间的联系, thanks to a very special visit by Chicora educator and alumna Elizabeth Blackman ’25.

On November 30, Blackman returned to campus to speak with Upper School students about the Chicora Gift-Giving Project, beginning with how much it has grown since her time as a student at Ashley Hall. “[The Chicora Gift-Giving Project] has changed tremendously over the years in the best way,” Blackman said. “I remember bringing our gifts and it would be one Barbie doll or a soccer ball. 现在有大衣了, shoes, anything that you can imagine being brought in to give to our students at Chicora.”

Today, donations are specifically curated to meet the needs of individual students at Chicora. Blackman works with classroom teachers beginning in November to build a wishlist for every child in grades 1-5. 从衣服和牙刷到玩具和书籍, donations are then collected and organized into special red Santa bags labeled with a child’s name that will be taken home at Christmas.

During her visit, Blackman gave students not only a better understanding of the gift-giving program, but, 也许最重要的是, of her students. “Over 90% of our students in first through fifth grades are living at or below poverty level,” shared Blackman, who spearheads the Chicora Gift-Giving Project with Ashley Hall Board of Trustee member and former Early School Director Dana Van Hook. “So they have some struggles, but when they come to school, it’s a different time to shine.”

Blackman went on to share just how much students at Chicora are indeed shining, noting that test scores throughout all grade levels have improved, and the school has recently allocated a new educator to support newly identified gifted and talented students at Chicora. Academics aside, Blackman shared just how similar her students are to those at Ashley Hall, 无论是对音乐的热爱还是对成为领导者的热情, to highlight the true spirit of the season which is connecting with one another.

“The students of Ashley Hall and Chicora are not so different,” Blackman said. “We’re connected by dreams, by hopes, and we’re connected by the inherent worth of ourselves. 每个孩子，不管他们的背景如何，都是有潜力的. And it’s our responsibility to nurture and support that potential. 所以本着这个季节的精神, 让十大网赌平台推荐不仅提供物质礼物, but the gift of understanding compassion and empathy and kindness.”

Here are a few more powerful messages Blackman shared with students this holiday season:

对奇科拉的捐赠远不止是礼物

“I wanted to talk a little bit about the bags and that go to our students. The bags not only offer gifts, but they offer security and consistency for some of our students. Security and consistency are two things that a lot of Chicora students do not have at home. So every year, 尤其是那些从一年级就在那里的人, 他们很期待这些包. 他们知道接下来会发生什么. 这些袋子不仅仅意味着一个玩具.”

十大网赌平台推荐之间的共同点

“I want to share some remarkable similarities that exist between our students and you, despite the apparent differences that you may have in your daily lives. 在阿什利大厅和奇科拉, 你会看到学生们努力学习, 在某些领域表现出色, 在别人身上挣扎. 你会看到展出的艺术品. 你会听到歌声. 我之前听到这里有合唱. It was great. 十大网赌平台推荐也有合唱. 你们也会听到乐器. While you might hear violins here at Ashley Hall, at Chicora, you would hear steel drums. 在阿什利大厅和奇科拉的走廊里, 你会听到笑声, 看到友谊绽放, 看到了激发人们追求知识的好奇心. These are some of the universal traits that go beyond the boundaries of socioeconomic status.”

不断壮大的领袖群体

“十大网赌平台推荐现在最重要的是Chicora Changers. It started last year and these students were selected because of their leadership skills, 他们的伟大行为, 以及他们的主要潜力. So these students work to provide community service within our community within our school. 他们必须有一定的工作时间, 然后到了年底, 他们会得到一次迪士尼之旅的奖励.”