Claus and effect: Kids send their requests to Santa.

Byline: RANDI BJORNSTAD The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - Anybody who thinks kids only care about what they're going to get for Christmas hasn't met the children in Megan Fritsch's class at Moffitt Elementary School.

The 11 students in Fritsch's special-education classroom - a coming-together from around the district of first- and second-graders with a variety of challenges - wrote letters to Santa Claus and showed as much interest in St. Nick as they did in requesting gifts for themselves.

"Do elves make toys? I love your Rudolph," wrote Austin Dummer, 7. "I like elves. Is there snow at the North Pole?"

Kimmy Kellis, 6, plied Santa with the promise of goodies - "I like you. I hope you will come to my house - I have cookies," she said, while 6-year-old Sabrina Price wanted to know if Santa has his own toys and jingle bells.

A few, of course, took the direct route: "I would like presents," 8-year-old Katie Banta asserted in her short-but-sweet note.

Classmate Kody Whitesell carefully mixed his message, first asking politely if Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer really exists, then getting down to business.

"I hope I get a lot of presents," Kody wrote. "I have worked hard to be good."

Keenly aware of the fabled relationship between good, bad and the receipt of Christmas gifts, the 8-year-old held up a daily log of his school activities and behaviors.

"If you get all `2s' in this book, then it shows you've been good," Kody said.

Fortunately, his book appeared to be loaded with the sought-after `2s.'

And he does have some idea what he'd like for Christmas, even though he didn't mention it in his letter to Santa.

"All I do want is a bike and a skateboard," Kody said. "I need a bike - mine is old, and every time I ride it the chain comes off, and I want a bike that the chain doesn't come off." The skateboard would be good for "learning to do tricks," he said.

As far as being good, "When people wreck on their bike, I go over and say, `Are you all right?' ' he said.

At home, he also helps with dishes and laundry, "and I cleaned the whole house," Kody said.

He learned his good behavior at school.

"I've been here in school two years," Kody said. "The people here are good, and they taught me to be good."

Exactly what Santa wants to hear.

CAPTION(S):

In a letter to Santa Claus, Academic Learning Center student Sabrina Price, 6, asks, "Do you have jingle bells?" The students in Megan Fritsch's class at Moffitt Elementary School all wrote letters to Santa. NICOLE DeVITO / The Register-Guard