The skills and interests of Hempfield School District students will be on display during the Hempfield Holiday Shoppe, set to take place on Friday, Dec. 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be set up in the Franklin Gymnasium at Hempfield High School, 200 Stanley Ave., Landisville.

Students from the district's elementary, middle, and high schools participate in the event. The shop is special to those involved, as it extends beyond the processes of classroom learning by providing community interaction and skill-building opportunities all while showcasing student strengths and skill sets.

This year's event will feature the largest number of participating mini-businesses in the Holiday Shoppe's 10-year history, with 22 student-run mini-businesses slated to take part. Crafts that will be sold include holiday ornaments, home decor, hand-painted cookie plates, pine centerpieces, magnets, natural wood tic-tac-toe boards, and notecards and notepads.

Zyler H., a student whose group will sell trees and snowmen this year, shared that he appreciates looking at "all the cool things" at the Holiday Shoppe. "You can shop while you're there," he said of the participating students. Shoppers who appreciate the facial expressions on the snowmen at Zyler's mini-business may want to let him know, as he helped to add faces to the products.

Student Aidan D. is a veteran of the Holiday Shoppe. "I've done this for a long time," he said, noting that one of his favorite parts of the event itself is seeing old friends and especially his sister. "When I see her," he noted, "I give her a big hug." The mini-business operated by Aidan and his classmates will sell snowman ornaments and other ornaments. "I like making all the snowmen," said Aidan, noting that everyone has a part in making the craft. "(At) one of the stations, we have to put wooden balls on a metal stick," he explained, calling the process "fun work."

Connery P., another student returning to participate in the Holiday Shoppe, noted that she gets to see friends from current classes and former classes at the event. She enjoys many components of the experience, including "making money and seeing my friends and going shopping." She also thrives while talking to customers and selling products, which this year will include gnomes that she helped to paint.

Students representing many of the mini-businesses work year round on their projects, incorporating math skills and critical thinking skills into their work and also enhancing interpersonal skills. According to student Sean C., handling money at last year's Holiday Shoppe helped him improve his math skills, and he and his classmates have worked on related skills during school, as well. He is looking forward to selling items such as ornaments, snowmen, reindeer, and painted rocks at the upcoming event.

The students officially began preparing for the event in September. Each year, they hold classroom meetings to decide what to sell, and they review sales from previous years and decide what materials they need to buy. Some students experiment with preparing and selling new products each year via their mini-businesses, and some offer the same types of products from year to year, having found a niche that works for them and that the customers love.

The cash-only event is open to members of the community. The Holiday Shoppe draws students, district staff members, and community members, along with people visiting from outside Lancaster County.

Representatives from the Hempfield Foundation will be available wrap gifts. Donations will be accepted and will benefit the Help Thy Neighbor fund, a program that was started in 2009 to support families in the school district that are experiencing financial difficulty.

The profits from the Holiday Shoppe benefit extracurricular activities and items for the district's classrooms, such as field trips, classroom events, and school supplies. Students also use some of the profits to fund next year's product.