Operation Christmas Child is a project by Samaritan’s Purse that collects and delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need. This program reaches kids around the world while also providing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The generous people who aid in filling these shoeboxes typically include hygiene items, toys, and school supplies inside. Afterwards, they send them to any local church in order for the boxes to be sent to 160 countries worldwide. 

Operation Christmas Child was started in a Calvary church in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1993. Franklin Graham inspired the beginning of this program by asking for help to send gift-filled shoeboxes to the war-torn kids in Bosnia. There were 11,000 shoeboxes initially sent that Christmas, and by the end of the year, they had sent about 28,000 shoeboxes. Graham wanted to demonstrate God's love with these boxes that are now sent all over the world to the children in need.

The outcome of Operation Christmas Child was the delivery of 200 million boxes shipped and the discipleship of over 50 million children. This program contributed to church growth around the world. We are not only able to provide for those less fortunate, but also share the Gospel through these gifts.

At WCS, we believe that learning outside the classroom can be very beneficial. So far, the field trips have been to IFAS, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and Agaromia, Georgia. These trips provide great experiences for students of all grades. The grades that visited IFAS are kindergarten, first grade, and fifth grade. They all went together as a large group but split up into their respective classes to enjoy the trip. The second and third graders visited Agaromia, Georgia. 

The fifth graders' favorite part was picking out pumpkins and exploring a corn maze at IFAS. They learned a lot about how pumpkins, corn, and other crops grow in Florida. Ms. Annie Day said her favorite part of the trip was the corn maze. They learned about the different parts of plants and applied their basic biology knowledge. Kindergarten students learned about the pumpkin life cycle, and their favorite part was learning how to pick pumpkins. Mrs. Lazio, the kindergarten teacher, enjoyed learning about pumpkins and corn as well as watching the students enjoy their field trip. 

The second and third graders visited Agaromia, Georgia, where they learned about the Quakers and their way of life. During the trip, students dressed up as they did in the old days, participated in activities, and got to eat traditional meals. Many students enjoyed visiting the old drug store and schoolhouse. Mrs. Smith's favorite part was watching the students participate; after they finished eating, they helped clean up the kitchen, washed and dried dishes, and even set up for the next meal before playing games.

These field trips proved to be beneficial and enjoyable to the teachers and students. The new environment and change of learning process were refreshing and eye-opening to these young children who saw what they were studying in real life. Westwood is planning to continue these field trips in all different grades to help the students apply themselves and see learning in a whole new light.