Community News

The Parkersburg South Pole: High school students helping answer Santa’s mail

PARKERSBURG -- If you've ever seen the original "Miracle on 34th Street," you know Santa Claus is about to get a lot of mail.

And once again, he's getting some help reading and responding to that correspondence locally in the form of Parkersburg South High School students.

Under the guidance of English teachers Justin McKown and Katie Nestor, and theater teacher Doug Parks, approximately 200 students will field letters for the big guy and help craft responses to the writers. Letters can be mailed to Santa's Helpers, attn: Mrs. Nestor, 1511 Blizzard Drive, Parkersburg, WV 26101, or a photo of a handwritten letter sent via email to santashelperspshs@gmail.com. Letters sent after Dec. 8 cannot be guaranteed a response.

And the letters don't have to be from a return address in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

"We have gotten letters from Alaska, Hawaii, California and several other states," Nestor said. "We love letters from young and old, tall and small. There is no restriction on who can/should write. It is always so neat to see how far this project reaches."

South senior Olivia Raber is participating for the third year. She said she enjoys seeing posts on social media from parents whose children received letters back, but she's also witnessed the impact firsthand, with an adult relative with special needs who writes every year.

"His face lights up. He loves it," she said. "And he thinks it's so cool that Santa's writing back to him."

Raber is president of the school's National Honor Society chapter and suggested participating in the Letters to Santa program as a service project for the group. They'll join members of the debate team Nestor coaches and newspaper, theater and yearbook students in reading the letters and making sure each writer receives a personalized response from Old St. Nick.

"It takes them back to their childhoods," Nestor said. "I think they also get to see a different side of the community that they don't normally see."

The letters are often more than a wish list of gifts, with kids sharing things about their lives and asking for gifts for family members in addition to, or instead of, themselves, Nestor said.

The program was started eight years ago by McKown as a way to both spread community cheer and get kids interested in letter writing, which Nestor described as "a lost art form." It has grown in participation every year, from about 300 letters the first year to around 1,000 or more, Nestor said.

Senior Cate Evans said she's excited to participate for the first time this year.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for the high schoolers, and the kids, and adds a little bit of Christmas magic for everybody," she said.

Senior Tobi Adebulu said he wasn't aware of the program until this year but looks forward to trying to make the letters "as personal as possible."

The students' rewards for participating don't show up on their report cards.

"It is not a requirement, and they get nothing in return other than knowing they have done something kind for someone else," Nestor

Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Jennifer Null - who just happened to have her official "A Christmas Story" pink bunny suit on hand for Monday's announcement of the program's start - knows the process from the other side. Her kids have written in for several years.

"They get really excited about it," she said. "One of my daughters already has her letter written and knows that I'll be turning it in."

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.