Christmas is the Holiday of gifting and spreading love. The students of Lake Shore have their favorite gifts they have ever received; however, what about the Lake Shore staff? Here is a quick overview of some of your Lake Shore teachers’ best gifts:

Staff member, Julie Cook, said, “The best gift I received would be from my grandfather, who every year gave all of the grandkids silver dollars from the 1920s…they were fun to collect, and I still have them till this day, and whenever I see them I think of him.”

Hearing about the gift she received from her grandfather continues to convey the true meaning of family gifts. They are more than just things; they are reminders of the love and connection that last forever.  

“The best gift I ever got was from my parents when I was like 12 years old. I got a mini bike, brand new, and with a big bow on it. I wanted a mini bike for years and years, so it was really special during that time. I don’t still have it till this day. I outgrew it and sold it later on, but I had a lot of years of enjoyment on that thing,” Jeff Valkan says.

Robert Couck, teacher, says his best gift(s) were “Either a life-size, well, three-foot Optimus Prime Transformer or the original Nintendo system with Duck Hunt and Mario Brothers.”

Couck also says, “One of them was just my favorite thing as a kid, Transformers. The other was Nintendo, which got me into video games, which I still love.”

He still has the Nintendo, although he did lose the Transformer. 

Getting presents of things that you love can build in yourself to love it even more as you grow older. It sets a foundation for the future.

The Dean of Students, William Puvalowski, said, “About 5 years ago, when I redid my kitchen, I got brand new plates, dishes, and things like that, and it kinda went right with the kitchen when I did it, so I was super excited. It was really special because my dad knew I just redid it, so it was really cool that he knew that I’d enjoy that gift, and I still even eat off them till this day.”

Gifts are really memorable when they have a lot of thought put into them. It lets others know that you really took the time to think about the things people enjoy. It also signifies how to make them excited when they are given something they are passionate about.