WPS Lower School Meet Santa to Give Gifts for Diakonia

1/6/2026

Berlin, MD – On Wednesday, December 17, Worcester Preparatory School’s (WPS) Lower School students eagerly lined up to visit Santa and share the spirit of giving by donating gifts to Diakonia.

Each Lower School student, from Pre-K through Grade 5, arrived in the dining hall with one or more wrapped gifts and personally handed them to Santa to be distributed to Diakonia. In total, hundreds of gifts were donated to Diakonia’s homeless shelter in West Ocean City, Maryland, which provides emergency and transitional housing, food services, and counseling for its guests.

This annual tradition reflects the WPS community’s commitment to service and compassion, while teaching students the importance of helping others during the holiday season. The school extends its gratitude to Lower School students and families, as well as the Diakonia staff and volunteers, for their hard work and continued support.

Founded in 1970, Worcester Preparatory School is a private, independent school serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 and is located in Berlin, Maryland. Approximately 500 students attend from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. For more information about WPS, please visit www.worcesterprep.org or call 410.641.3575.

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Mrs. Hannah Purnell’s 4th-grade class poses with Santa—giving him a playful “6–7”—during the annual Diakonia toy drive at WPS. Sitting from left are Sloane Gudelsky (Ocean City, MD), Blakely Absher (Berlin, MD), Nuri Ramadan (Ocean City, MD), Lilly Brittingham (Millsboro, DE), and Avery Anderson (Milton, DE). Standing from left are Mrs. Hannah Purnell, Henry Hudson (Lewes, DE), Roshan Chapla (Salisbury, MD), Camden Haley (Ocean City, MD), Lily McClure (Lewes, DE), Santa Claus, Declan Parks (Salisbury, MD), Vincent Fasano (Ocean City, MD), Charlie Davis (Berlin, MD), Ryder Whitlock (Lewes, DE), David Burke (Millsboro, DE), and Nolan Anthony (Frankford, DE).
WPS 4th graders Lilly McClure (Lewes, DE), Declan Parks (Salisbury, MD), and Henry Hudson (Lewes, DE) were excited to donate their gifts to Diakonia this holiday season.
WPS 2nd-grade teachers Mrs. Julia Ternahan and Mrs. Abby Harrison played the role of Santa’s elves while helping collect gifts for donation.
WPS 1st grader Isabel Betz (Selbyville, DE) smiles as she meets Santa during the Diakonia toy drive at Worcester Preparatory School.
Worcester Preparatory School’s Mrs. Camille Jenkins’s 5th-grade class poses with Santa after donating gifts for Diakonia. Kneeling from left: Isla Pippin (Berlin, MD), Kamden White (Millsboro, DE), Michael Bouzaglo (Berlin, MD), Q Durrell (Rehoboth Beach, DE), Georgia Duffie (Ocean City, MD), and Zia Salem (Berlin, MD). Standing from left: Diakonia Community Coordinator Susan Blaney, Colton Vescovi (Rehoboth Beach, DE), Ben Evangelista (Seaford, DE), Head of Lower School Mr. Travis Bower, Luna Wierengo (Bishopville, MD), Grace Hornung (Newark, MD), Stella Correa (Ocean City, MD), Santa Claus, Dev Pillai (Lewes, DE), Grayson Arauz (Ocean View, DE), Daxton Fones (Bishopville, MD), Hristina Gjoni (Berlin, MD), Ellie Bookwalter (Ocean City, MD), and 5th-grade teacher Mrs. Camille Jenkins.

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Worcester Preparatory School

508 South Main Street, Berlin, MD 21811

Phone: 410-641-3575 | Fax: 410-641-3586

Celebrating 50 years, WPS is an independent, college prep day school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. Located in Berlin, Maryland, the private school attracts an average of 500 students from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.