MAHONING VALLEY Gift exchange continues at Crestview, Springfield

Staff and pupils at both schools have embraced the project.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- Laden with nearly 400 wrapped packages, Crestview Middle School pupils will travel Thursday to Springfield Intermediate School. They will return with more than 400 packages collected and wrapped by Springfield pupils.
The idea for what has become a Christmas tradition between the two schools was conceived six years ago across Scott and Melanie Workman's dinner table.
Scott Workman teaches eighth-grade science at Crestview Middle School. Mrs. Workman is a special-education teacher at Springfield Intermediate School in Mahoning County.
"This is an opportunity for our students to interact," said Crestview Superintendent John Dilling. "It is a good lesson in civic responsibility."
Workman said he and his wife were looking for a Christmas project the Springfield and Crestview pupils could work on together. The gift exchange quickly caught on, and now staff and pupils at both schools begin to ask the Workmans for the names of needy pupils several weeks before Christmas.
Embraced tradition
He said it's a tradition that each district's pupils and staff have embraced with a passion and intend to continue.
"There's no stopping it now," he said. "If either of us said we wanted to quit, I think we'd probably be out looking for new jobs."
Workman said he and his wife and other teachers at both schools work closely with guidance counselors to coordinate efforts. Each classroom is given the names of one or two children in need, Crestview pupils receive the names of Springfield pupils, and Springfield pupils collect toys and clothes for Crestview pupils.
In six years, the two schools have exchanged more than 9,000 gifts, Scott Workman said. He said the CMS morning television crew and adviser Cyndi Straney assisted with Crestview's project. Mrs. Workman and other teachers are coordinating efforts at Springfield. Pupils from both schools discussed progress of the collection in a video conference last week, Scott Workman said.
He offered a special thanks to Jill Hill, librarian, who gave up much of her library space Tuesday for pupils to wrap presents during study halls.
tullis@vindy.com