The true meaning of Christmas through a child’s eyes

Janitor Sylvia Perriguey receives hugs from some of the students in Travis Brobst’s class Thursday morning as she entered the room during her lunch break. Perriguey is holding hand made thank you cards from the students who wanted to tell Perriguey how much she has come to mean to them since she began cleaning their classroom earlier this year.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_tsd121815gifts1.jpg Janitor Sylvia Perriguey receives hugs from some of the students in Travis Brobst’s class Thursday morning as she entered the room during her lunch break. Perriguey is holding hand made thank you cards from the students who wanted to tell Perriguey how much she has come to mean to them since she began cleaning their classroom earlier this year.

Elena Vliskavka opens her gift Thursday morning in Travis Brobst’s classroom. Vliskavka was the first student to open her present from Sylvia Perriguey. Vliskavka was surprised when she thought her box contained a vacuum. She was delighted when she opened the box and it contained a stuffed bear and a doll. Perriguey has taken the time to build relationships with each of the students and chose gifts for each child based on their personalities and interests.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_tsd121715gifts2.jpg Elena Vliskavka opens her gift Thursday morning in Travis Brobst’s classroom. Vliskavka was the first student to open her present from Sylvia Perriguey. Vliskavka was surprised when she thought her box contained a vacuum. She was delighted when she opened the box and it contained a stuffed bear and a doll. Perriguey has taken the time to build relationships with each of the students and chose gifts for each child based on their personalities and interests.

Sylvia Perriguey leans to get a closer look as the students Travis Brobst’s class show one another the gifts they received from Perriguey Thursday morning. Perriguey wanted to give each student in Brobst’s class a gift after the student were kind enough to invite her to their Christmas party. She said it was the first time that a class had extended an invitation to her and she was touched by the kindness of the students.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_tsd121815gifts3.jpg Sylvia Perriguey leans to get a closer look as the students Travis Brobst’s class show one another the gifts they received from Perriguey Thursday morning. Perriguey wanted to give each student in Brobst’s class a gift after the student were kind enough to invite her to their Christmas party. She said it was the first time that a class had extended an invitation to her and she was touched by the kindness of the students.

Johnathon Schlobohm, a student in Travis Brobst’s class, smiles after unwrapping the gift he received from Sylvia Perriguey, a janitor at Smith-Cotton Junior High Thursday morning. Perriguey began cleaning Brobst’s room this year and said she has adopted his 13 students since her children and grandchildren line in other states. Perriguey bought each child in the class a gift and commented that although the students could not replace her family they have brought great joy to her.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_tsd121815gifts4.jpg Johnathon Schlobohm, a student in Travis Brobst’s class, smiles after unwrapping the gift he received from Sylvia Perriguey, a janitor at Smith-Cotton Junior High Thursday morning. Perriguey began cleaning Brobst’s room this year and said she has adopted his 13 students since her children and grandchildren line in other states. Perriguey bought each child in the class a gift and commented that although the students could not replace her family they have brought great joy to her.

The true meaning of Christmas began with a child centuries ago, but it was evidenced once again Thursday morning with 13 children who demonstrated what it truly means to give.

Although the students in Travis Brobst’s class received the presents for Christmas, they gave the gifts of love, kindness and gratitude to a member of the staff of the Sedalia School District 200.

Sylvia Perriguey has worked as a janitor at the Junior High in Sedalia for the last five years, four of those she spent cleaning the classrooms on the second floor of the building.

This year the rooms she was assigned changed and along with that came the opportunity to connect to group of students who have become a part of her family.

“I think I’ve adopted them,” Perriguey said of the 13 students in Brobst’s class. “My children and grandchildren live out of state and I haven’t been able to see them in years.

I know that these kids won’t ever replace mine and my grandchildren but they have filled a void in my heart from missing mine so, Perriguey added. “They have all become very special to me.”

Perriguey said the bond all began with a small act of kindness on the part of the students.

“In all my years of working in the school this is the first time that a class ever invited me to go to a Christmas Party,” Perriguey said. “It just touched me so to think that they thought enough of me to let me be a part of it that I wanted to do something special for them.”

Brobst said Perriguey spoke to him about the possibility of purchasing gifts for his students.

“Sylvia relates to my students, she takes the time to get to know them and asks about their likes and dislikes,” Brobst said. “She genuinely cares about them as individuals.

“It really touched me when she asked if she could do this for them,” Brobst added. “I know that her paycheck probably took a dent because she did this but I know too that didn’t matter at all to her.”

Thursday afternoon she spent her lunch period with the students in class as they opened their presents.

Each student patiently watched as their classmates opened their gifts and comments of thanks were given to Perriguey as the students proudly showed their gifts to each another.

When Perriguey entered the room, she was surprised with a gift card from Brobst and the paraprofessionals who work with Brobst’s students (Karen Compton, Misty Tow and Cathy Matheis) in 13 handmade thank you cards, one from each student.

“I think people tend to forget that people sometimes have to go through a lot in life,” Perriguey said with tears in her eyes. “We forget how important joy is and what a big part of life that can be.

“I am blessed by God and so grateful that I was able to do this for them,” she added softly. “These students have brought me such joy not only to help get through the holidays but every day and I will never be able to forget them or their kindness.”