A number of Joseph DeMello Elementary School students will have presents to open this Christmas due to some entrepreneurial and creative third graders.

Third grade teacher Leslie Gamache’s 22 students designed, marketed, and sold wreaths on a chilly December 16 morning to raise cash for The Giving Tree, a school fund which benefits DeMello families who don't have money in the budget for groceries and toys this holiday season.

The wreath sale was sparked by a brainstorming session between Gamache and STEM instructional specialist Josh Rodrigues. Typically, the third graders partake in science and building design projects in their weekly STEM class, but Rodrigues and Gamache wanted their latest project to impact the DeMello community, spitballing possibilities until Rodrigues landed on selling wreaths for The Giving Tree.

Gamache, Rodrigues, and the students got to work. And this was more than just slapping red ribbon on wreaths. They wrote letters to the superintendent and principal seeking approval for the project, created a green screen commercial for the sale, advertised via the school’s Facebook page and homemade signs, learned the history of wreaths, and computed math calculations along the lines of “How much money would we make if we sold 10 wreaths?"

Students will calculate the project's total sales and expenses before figuring out the net profit for The Giving Tree, although Gamache estimates it will be around a couple hundred dollars - which will buy countless gifts and groceries for DeMello families.