Westlake Students Help Santa Respond To Letters

WESTLAKE, OH — Westlake High students are helping Santa Claus answer letters from children this year. The students have written 112 letters as part of their AP Language & Composition students.

The students are part of English teacher Sarah Reichert's class. She uses the letter writing as a creative endeavor and writing lesson.

Reichert's students spend part of their class time in December impersonating Santa and answering letters from the children and grandchildren of Westlake Schools staff members.

Before the students respond to letters, they discuss a series of questions to make sure all of the responses are cohesive and coherent. For example, students must decide: what's the North Pole like?, how many elves does Santa have?, how do you make toys?, and can you ride Rudolph?

Each response letter is written beneath a header that says, "From the Desk of Santa Claus." Most of the letters to Santa were written by 3-year-old and 4-year-old children. Reichert helps her high school students respond to the requests for dolls and action figures.

Last year, some students wrote to other fictional characters asking for holiday help (because their families don't have traditions involving Santa).

“Last year I had two little girls who wrote to Star Wars characters, and my students had a lot of fun writing back to them as these characters,” Reichert said.