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ADAPT’s Preschools Rein in the Holidays with Gifts, Games, and Santa 

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As students from ADAPT Community Network’s children’s programs geared up for the holidays, the 80 West End Ave. and Staten Island Children’s Program schools were transformed into winter wonderlands. The two preschools were lucky enough to receive personalized gifts, courtesy of the Manhattan Armani office, the Rotary Club of Staten Island, and Rab’s Country Lanes, and enjoyed a day of holiday fun.  

On Friday, December 16th, students of 80 West End Ave. entered the school gym to find snacks, a “snowball” toss, a coloring area, a sensory table, and a Santa-greeting station with an elaborate holiday backdrop. Throughout the day, classes filtered into the gym, anxious to receive their gifts and meet Santa. He greeted them with a “ho, ho, ho!” and handed them gifts wrapped in red, green, and white wrapping paper. After sitting on Santa’s lap and posing for photos, the students tore the wrapping paper to reveal, miraculously, the presents they had requested in their letters to Santa.  

How did the children happen to receive just what gifts they had asked for? Well, before the event, Armani Manhattan employees were paired up with students and tasked with purchasing a present from their wish lists. Then, they sent the presents and snacks for the students to meet them at 80 West End Ave. Thanks to Armani Manhattan’s generosity, the children were able to have a magical holiday experience. 

Then, a surprise — a visit from a herd of reindeer! Armani staff wearing reindeer antlers poured into the gym to greet the kids and enjoy the party. The students and their new reindeer friends danced around the gym to classic holiday songs, and the children waiting their turns for Santa explored the sensory snow-filled table and tested their aim at the snowball-throwing game.  

The day ended with the conclusion of the 80 West End Ave. door-decorating contest. This holiday season, the school’s students and teachers worked together to create winter and holiday-themed door decorations. Their efforts paid off, transforming the hallways into a wintery art gallery. Congratulations to classrooms 133 and 136 — hope you enjoy your pizza party prize! 

“The kids were so excited to receive such amazing toys and had a great time participating in the Last winter themed activities,” Jillian Aguis, director of the 80 West End Ave. school, said after the party. Sounds like a success! 

A little further south, the Staten Island Children’s Program was also enjoying a holiday celebration. Two local businesses, the Rotary Club of SI and Rab’s Country Lanes, have been sponsoring Staten Island Children’s Program’s gifts for over three years and generously purchased gifts for each of the students. 

Staten Island Children’s Program teachers purchased gifts for the children and wrote them personalized notes, which were presented to them during the party, and Frank Wilkinson of Rab’s Country Lanes read holiday-themed books to the young scholars. And what holiday party is complete without a visit from Santa? The kids excitedly posed with their gifts on Santa’s lap, the perfect ending to a merry celebration. 

“The little scholars were so ecstatic and happy they received a gift from Santa Claus,” said Brian Cohen, Program Director of Staten Island Children’s Program. “It was such a glorious and memorable day for our program.” 

We are so incredibly fortunate to receive so many wonderful gifts from Armani, the Rotary Club of SI, and Rab’s Country Lanes, and we thank them for making our preschoolers’ holiday season so memorable. Thank you to every Armani employee and teacher who took the time to buy the students gifts, the friendly Armani reindeer, the Santas, and the school staff who organized the events. Finally, thank you to ADAPT Community Network’s generous supporters, who allowed us to present $25 gift cards to not only the children of 80 West End Ave. and Staten Island Children’s Program, but to every student in ADAPT’s children’s programs.  

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! As we enter a new year, we wish everyone in our treasured ADAPT community a healthy and happy 2023. 

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