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Rogers High School Students Craft Toys, Spreading Holiday Cheer

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, December 10th 2025 at 0:33 GMT by KHQ

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Rogers High School Students Bring Holiday Magic to the Community with Hand‑Crafted Toys

A quiet winter event in Rogers, Kansas, turned into a heart‑warming holiday celebration when a group of high schoolers rolled up their sleeves and turned simple materials into precious gifts for children in need. The story, featured in the Kansas City‑Hays News (KHQ) and detailed in an article titled “Rogers High School students spread Christmas cheer with handcrafted toys,” follows the journey of a student‑run toy‑making project that culminated in the distribution of dozens of handmade toys to local families, hospitals, and children’s homes.

The Spark: Community Service Meets Creativity

The initiative began as part of Rogers High School’s Community Service Club, a program that encourages students to engage with local nonprofits and learn the value of service. According to the article, the club’s senior advisor, Mr. Andrew Mitchell, was inspired by the school’s longstanding partnership with the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Rogers, a local charity that distributes holiday gifts to families in crisis. “We wanted to do something that combined hands‑on learning with real impact,” Mitchell said in an interview quoted in the story. The Society’s website, linked in the article, provides background on its mission and its role in supporting the community during the holidays.

Students were divided into small teams and assigned to specific toy categories: plush animals, wooden puzzle games, and simple stuffed dolls. The project’s design and logistics were overseen by Mrs. Lila Harris, a 10th‑grade art teacher who brought her experience with fabric and woodworking into the classroom. The article highlights how Mrs. Harris coordinated with local volunteers to secure donations of fabric, yarn, cardboard, and other materials. “The community truly stepped up,” Harris noted, “with donations ranging from leftover school supplies to generous contributions from a nearby textile mill.”

From Design to Production: A Classroom Full of Gears

The article describes the creative process in vivid detail. For plush toys, students used a mix of sewing machines and hand‑sewing stations. They experimented with patterns and textures, with each student responsible for a specific part of the toy’s construction—from cutting the fabric to stitching the final seams. One student, sophomore Maya Patel, recounted the satisfaction of feeling “the first soft fabric cut and seeing it transform into something that could bring a smile to a child’s face.”

Wooden toys were assembled in a corner of the school’s woodworking shop, where older students under the guidance of a teacher and a visiting local carpenter learned basic joinery. “We built wooden puzzles and simple building blocks,” said junior Evan Garcia. The article notes that the woodworking team used sustainably sourced pine, a detail that ties into the school’s broader environmental stewardship goals.

In addition to the main toy categories, a few students decided to create “holiday-themed” items such as paper snowflakes, gift tags, and holiday cards, which were printed on the school’s in‑house printer. These were later bundled with the toys for added festive flair.

The Big Day: Distribution and Reception

The culmination of the month‑long effort was a distribution event held on December 7th, 2023, at the Rogers Community Center. The article includes photos of the center’s front doors, festooned with lights, and of the bustling event where students handed out the handcrafted toys to a diverse group of recipients. The distribution partners included:

• St. Vincent de Paul Society of Rogers – The Society received the majority of the plush toys for its “Christmas Cheer Package” program, which sends gifts to families in need.
• Rogers Children’s Hospital – A small batch of wooden puzzles and stuffed dolls was given to the pediatric ward’s waiting room, according to a link to the hospital’s holiday volunteer page.
• Rogers Foster Care Home – Several stuffed animals were presented to children in foster care, an initiative the article connects to the home’s own volunteer program (link provided).

Mrs. Harris reflected on the event’s success, saying, “The look on those kids’ faces was priceless. It’s a reminder that even a small effort can change a holiday.” The article also quotes a staff member from the Foster Care Home, who emphasized how the toys “helped bring a sense of normalcy and joy during a difficult time.”

Community Impact and Lessons Learned

The article underscores the project’s broader significance beyond the immediate joy it brought. According to the KHQ piece, the toy‑making initiative served as a “hands‑on lesson in project management, teamwork, and empathy.” Students learned to plan budgets, manage time, and collaborate across disciplines. The school’s principal, Dr. Susan Lee, is quoted: “Projects like this embody the values we want our students to carry forward – generosity, creativity, and responsibility.”

Additionally, the story highlights how the program strengthened ties between the school and local nonprofits. The St. Vincent de Paul Society’s website, linked in the article, notes that this collaboration has continued for several years, with an increase in the number of toys donated each season.

The article closes with a hopeful note for future iterations of the project. Students are already brainstorming new ideas for next year, including a “Build‑a‑Buddy” program where students design and assemble personalized plush companions for children with special needs. The piece links to the school’s community service page, inviting readers to volunteer or donate.

A Winter of Giving

In summary, the KHQ article on Rogers High School students spreading Christmas cheer provides a detailed look at how a small group of students transformed a community service assignment into a meaningful holiday gift program. From the initial collaboration with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, through the creative phases in classrooms and workshops, to the final distribution at the community center, the project exemplified the power of collective effort. With over 100 handmade toys delivered to children in need, the students not only brightened the holiday season for many families but also gained invaluable lessons in teamwork, responsibility, and the spirit of giving.