As winter sets in, decorations go up, students start counting down the days until winter break, the bell changes into a Christmas jingle, gifts are exchanged, and pajamas are allowed to be worn. But even with all of this, ILS takes an extra step for Christmas by doing multiple things that show everyone the real meaning behind Christmas. 

Here at ILS, Christmas is not just another day on the calendar but the time of year when things such as angel tree, movie nights, SALTT, Tricky Tray, fundraisers, etc, are all hosted and celebrated. This all sounds nice and good, but what does it even mean?

ILS takes it into their hands to pick up wishlists from the less fortunate, set up a tree, hang the wishlists, and dedicate a day for every grade to select an angel. Once they have received the gifts the students brought, they go out of their way to take them to the children and then share pictures of the smiles left on these kids’ faces. Seeing the ILS community do this, makes everyone realize how grateful they should be, and that Christmas is not just about giving gifts but also about making others feel appreciated. 

“One of my favorite times of the year is Christmas because I am a part of the SALTT club and I get to go on the field trips where we drop off the kids’ gifts which makes me so happy that ILS offers this opportunity,” said senior Camilla Souza. 

As Camilla mentioned, the club “SALTT” is one of the biggest here at ILS and during Christmas, they do everything they can to raise money, provide gifts for the less fortunate, go on multiple field trips to visit the needy, and make everyone feel Christmas joy as much as they can.

ILS also hosts movie nights where Christmas movies are played after school. Along with this, events such as Tricky Tray are also hosted. This event consists of raffling nice baskets that are filled with gifts, offering multiple food trucks, taking the whole day to decorate the cafeteria, and much more.

“I see how other schools celebrate Christmas and I feel like ILS does a better job. Also, I don’t participate in a lot of school activities but for Christmas, I feel like the school does a good job at making me want to donate during this time,” said senior Nicholas Dominguez.

So, as the bell rings for winter break and students head home, ILS feels like a cozy Christmas haven. It’s not just about decorations or gifts—it’s about making a real difference. Whether it’s through the angel tree, SALTT, movie nights, or Tricky Tray, ILS goes all out to spread joy and kindness.