Novi students spread Christmas cheer at Academy of the Americas

NOVI — On the morning of Dec. 15, busloads of Novi students, staff and parents arrived at the Academy of the Americas Cub K-3 campus in southwest Detroit to provide underprivileged youths with some Christmas cheer.

The Novi Community School District has partnered with Bridgepointe, a nonprofit charitable organization in metro Detroit, for several years to bring Christmas gifts and festivities to students at a school that could use the support. However, this was the first year that the district has been able to hold a party for the kids since 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All levels of the Novi Community School District have some involvement in the project, from the pre-kindergarten level through adult students. Each of the schools in the district focused on gathering different items for the Detroit students.

The middle school students collected new and unwrapped games, made cards, and wrapped gifts. Each elementary school collected a different item, such as nail polish, Lip Smackers and cozy socks. The Novi High School student council chipped in with a Dollar for Detroit day to help support the event. Students at the Novi Adult Transition Center collected and bagged unused Halloween candy.

The students then wrapped all the gifts for the Detroit students and threw a Christmas party for them. During the party, approximately 150 students, parents and staff from Novi Meadows Elementary School and Novi High School participated in classroom activities and crafts with the Academy of the Americas students; the Novi High School Singers performed; and they held games for the kids in the gym. Santa Claus also made his rounds to each classroom to present the students with the gifts from the NCSD.

“It’s great; they love it,” Lisa Fenchel, the principal of Novi Meadows, said of her students participating in the program.

Fenchel said the middle school started to work with the nonprofit as one of the staffers was friends with one of the nonprofit’s founders, and it has grown into an all-district project. She said that the district has worked with several different schools and age groups, but it has been paired with Academy of the Americas, which is a Spanish dual language immersion school, for the last couple of years.

Fenchel prepped the students for the visit.

“I said, ‘You’re going to come to a school. It probably doesn’t look like your school, and just what (differences) do you notice?’ A lot of them have been to the city because they went to a Tigers game or because they went to a concert. They haven’t really been in the city interacting with the people that live in the city. So they’re very excited.”

Third grade teacher Maria Dominguez at the Academy of the Americas said her students get really excited every year for the party and start to count down the days in advance. She said the students really look forward to the crafts and activities with the Novi students.

“I think it’s special. Sometimes a lot of our students, they don’t get a lot of things for Christmas. They get necessities, not what they really want. So, this is fun for them, and it’s a new learning experience for them,” said Domnguez.

She said the students get to learn how Christmas is celebrated in a different culture. She said that most of her students celebrate Christmas on Dec. 24, as is customary in Latino culture. They celebrate the coming of the baby Jesus on Dec. 24 with meals and presents, and then on Dec. 25 reflect on the birth of Jesus. She said that where other cultures write letters to Santa, her students write to Santa, the three kings, and baby Jesus.   

“I think it’s really nice that we have this, because everybody deserves a nice Christmas and, like, they deserve to have fun, and I really like being with children,” said Annabelle Zahradnik, a sixth grader at Novi Meadows. “I just want them to have a good day.”

“I think it’s a great opportunity to help the kids,” echoed Sofia Dobs, a fifth-grade student at Novi Meadows. “I’m kinda happy that they’re happy, because they don’t always get to do these things. So, it’s nice to see them happy.”

Alexander Daniel, 17, a senior at Novi High School, spent his day helping Santa get to all the classrooms.

“It’s just fun to help,” he said, and recalled how much he had enjoyed helping with the project when he was in middle school.

“It’s really nice to just be here and do gigs for kids, because they’re so sweet, and we love singing, and we just want to share our passion with everybody,” said Rithi Ramaurthy, 16, a performer in the Novi Singers choir.

Nick Brown, the principal of the Academy of the Americas, said it is a great event.

“It’s always been great to get two communities together to share some time, learn from each other and have fun together,” said Brown. “It’s a blast.”

He said it allows his students the opportunity to see and engage with students who live far from them and with whom they wouldn’t usually have the opportunity to interact.

“It’s all about community building in the end,” Brown said.

“It’s cool,” said Samuel Hernadez, 8, a third grader at the academy.