Sensitive Santa offers stress-free holiday experience

The event has been a tradition in the West Mifflin Area School District for the past decade.

West Mifflin Area families attended an annual tradition at the school district’s middle school — its Sensitive Santa event.

In partnership with the special education department, the West Mifflin Parent Engagement Committee and the eighth-grade Job Holder Club, the event provided special education students and their families an opportunity to have stress-free pictures with Santa from VanDyke Photography.

“It gives us a chance to connect with the families when they come in a very informal/formal setting because it still is what it is,” said Dr. Dayna Sikora, director for special education for the district. “We give the families chances for all kinds of picture opportunities with the kids. It’s a culminating event because we have a bunch of clubs, like ROTC and the bakers club. All of the stuff here is actually made by students.”

Students participated in coloring, Christmas crafts, a soft ornament making station, sensory snow globes and Play-Doh. There were also basket raffles, a drink station and a cookie station.

Director of Pupil Services Noelle Haney said the district has been doing this for 10 to 15 years, and her mom donated the baskets for the raffles. She said the same Santa has been coming for the last 10 years.

According to Sikora, the event has evolved, and they started having sensory stations over the last two years. They also do a similar Halloween event every year as well.

“We actually have slime, we have music that we adjust and make a truly sensory experience. All the lights stay on so the kids aren’t afraid,” Sikora said. “If they don’t want to sit next to Santa for their pictures, that’s why we invite the photographer. We don’t even care if they stand 10 feet away and get their picture, and sometimes that’s all some of our parents can do.”

Sikora said they try to make the event as child friendly as possible, and she would love to see more families attend.

Santa usually does not approach the kids, waiting for them to go up to him, according to Sikora.

During the regular school year, the autistic support classes make their own glitter globes with water bottles, so they wanted to try that at the event. Special education students also work at the Daily Grind drink stand that was also at the event.

The Job Holder club helped run the event. The club prepares students for the workplace by teaching basic job skills through hands-on responsibilities such as filing, phone etiquette, deliveries and support for school-wide operations.

The high school drink cart has a point-of-sale system just like Kennywood, so if students are looking for a job, they can apply.

“They do a really nice job,” special education teacher Mindy McClelland said. “All of those things run through the kids, the coffee stand and the club, in terms of ordering it, exchanging the money, preparing it, all real-life job skills from top to bottom. They do it all. They picked out what crafts they wanted to do, put it in the Amazon cart and we have purchase order forms on paper. It’s a pretty unique set up.”

Job Holder club member Jenna Jakub said she likes to help out with the fun activities, and last week, they made a presentation to the Adult Intermediate Unit about what they are doing at the middle school. She added they also had a turkey trot recently.

Eighth grader and club member Jonathan Jaskulski said he helped set up for the event and assisted students with crafts. He said he really enjoyed the event.

Sikora said she loves the event every year, and it doesn’t feel like extra work after her regular day.

“This is the good stuff. This is why we’re here,” she said. “It’s rewarding to see the kids, and you see them in class, but when you see them here, it’s great. We try to accommodate our families as best we can — whatever the needs are. It’s been lovely.”