Christmas.

It’s an exciting and fun time of the year for children.

And letters to Santa are a big part of that. But, who remembers what you wrote to Santa when you were only 4 or 5 years old?

Did you ask for the latest toys? Did you ask how Mrs. Claus and the reindeer were doing?

Did you tell Santa how good you’d been all year long?

Did you actually get what you wanted?

Those were long forgotten memories for Kingfisher High School seniors Kadyn Daugherty and Mia Hartman... …Until last week when they, along with their classmates from Laurie Hagar’s former pre-kindergarten class at Gilmour Elementary, received a special delivery at the high school.

It was their original letters to Santa that Mrs. Hagar had kept all these years, just to share a little Christmas magic with the now grown-up students she taught and mentored 14 years ago.

Daugherty and Hartman both said they were excited and surprised by the thoughtful gesture.

Although, Daugherty confessed, she was a little confused when she looked at the child’s handwriting on the envelope.

“It was so funny, because when they handed it to me at the office, I was like, ‘oh my gosh, what little kid wrote me a letter?’” Daugherty said. “Then they told me, ‘it’s yours from when you were little.’

“I was blown away that Mrs. Hagar had saved it all those years…that’s a long time and it just shows how much she cares for her students.”

Remembering those times, Daugherty said Mrs. Hagar was one of her favorite teachers who was always so welcoming, happy and bubbly and she had a big influence on her students.

In agreement, Hartman said she was a great teacher and role model.

When she received her letter, Hartman said, “It was really exciting. I got to see it with all my friends and I was curious about what I wrote.”

Showing her parents the letter, Hartman said her mom informed her that she did receive the roller skates she asked for and her sister got the Dora kitchen.

Looking back, Daugherty said she remembers getting the pink basketball and the Lite Brite she asked for, but wasn’t sure about the Hello Kitty puzzle.

Inspired by her sister who is a fourth grade teacher at Hennessey Public Schools, Mrs. Hagar said she came up with the idea after seeing a project her sister’s students did with quilt squares in which they would have a drawing for the quilt during their senior year.

Although a relatively new idea, Mrs. Hagar said she has saved Santa letters before and presented them to the senior class for graduation, but not at Christmas, until this year.

With 25 years of service to KPS, Mrs. Hagar is currently a pre-kindergarten teacher at Gilmour Elementary and has spent the last 24 years in that position.

“I thought it was very fun to save something they made in their early childhood education experience and be able to give that to them on their senior year,” Mrs. Hagar said.

“I thought it was very special and just kind of tied up their experience.”

Daugherty is the daughter of Derek and Micah Daugherty and Hartman’s parents are Chad and Leah Hartman.

Reflecting on favorite Christmas memories through the years, Hartman said she loves it when her family decorates the tree together and, this year, she’s looking forward to getting to spend time together with her family, because it’s harder now that her older siblings are in college.

One of Daugherty’s favorite childhood Christmas memories is when she and her brothers were surprised with a puppy before Christmas and her parents said Santa gave it to them early “because it was barking too much at Rudolph’s nose.”

Each year, Daugherty said she loves her family’s Christmas Eve tradition when they gather in the living room to watch “The Nativity Story” together.

As her focus has changed from her pre-kindergarten years, Daugherty said she’s looking forward to “just truly all being together… getting to spend quality time with my family this year.”

As for the surprise letter she received, Daugherty said she will 100 percent be saving it.

“It was super sweet,” she said. “She’s a great teacher and it’s super meaningful that she did that.”

Reflecting on some of the feedback she’s received from the students, Mrs. Hagar said, “It was definitely worth it.

“I hope the students have some precious moments and a renewed feeling that Christmas is still magical no matter how old you are.”