Operation Santa provides holiday cheer

WOODLAND — Operation Santa helped provide cheer this year to students in Woodland Public Schools’ elementary schools. The event was created to help fill the gap for students used to having a lot of holiday festivities before their winter break. “Our students have been working so hard, and with virtual learning, many of them have missed out on the holiday fun that happens at the elementary level,” Columbia Elementary School Principal David Starkey said. “We wanted to do something to remind them that we care about them, love them and support them.” Students and their families drove up to the entrance of their school where they were greeted by Superintendent Michael “Santa Claus” Green along with principals dressed as elves and teachers in full holiday attire. While still enforcing social distancing and mask wearing, Santa greeted students and gave them a new book donated by Scholastic Corporation and a candy cane. “The turnout was better than expected with traffic out to the street for nearly the full two hours we ran the event,” North Fork Elementary School Principal Denise Pearl said. “Our students were full of smiles.”