BY CAROL MOSLEY
Special to the Telegraph
Santa and Grandma Claus, along with the Grinch and an elf helper, came to Brooker to collect requests for Christmas presents. Students and parents shared a breakfast of pancakes and sausages and then made their way to visit with Santa.
The Claus family makes a tradition of bringing Christmas cheer to the area. Lonnie Norman does it in honor of his father. Each year the family puts on a public winter wonderland display in Lake Butler at their home. And, the family thrills the local children by bringing Santa to the schools. This year Lonnie Norman’s mother was there as Grandma Claus, along with his Grinch nephew Tristen Whitehead and niece Raegan Rooney as Snowy the Elf.
Jordan Fletcher is a third grade student, who is having a great time in her first year attending this school. She asked Santa for a trampoline because hers turned into mangled metal in the hurricane.
Stephen Ogden loves his first grade subjects of reading and math. He had “a whole list” of things he’d like to get, but especially wants a whole bunch of little Army men.
The Schumpert family are frequent attendees of events held by the school. Leilah wants a bike with training wheels and a car seat, complete with seat belt, for her doll. Christopher wants Pokeman cards and baby Nora is expected to get two dolls, according to her siblings.
Hattie McRee has the meaning of Christmas in her heart and said she wants good for her family. When pressed if there is anything she hopes my come just for her at Christmas, she said she wants “more Bible stuff.” Johanna McRee would love to have a playhouse that she could go inside to play with small scale furniture and pretend to cook in a little kitchen. Gus wants a big tractor and he’ll be set.
The community charter school is a hub activity for the small town of Brooker, located at the most western point of the triangle-shaped Bradford County. The school only exists because the community came together to make it happen. Local families catch up with each other at events put on by the school, such as the fall festival. They share meals at the school to celebrate holidays. Local donors step up to see that the classrooms are stocked and the students are all fed, even though the public charter school is free and open to students from anywhere.
