GUILDERLAND—Guilderland High School Social Studies teacher Robert C. Baker, 46, was arrested just before Christmas, charged with stealing presents that students had donated for needy children.

According to the arrest report from the Guilderland Police Department, Baker, who lives at 76 Old Ravena Rd. in Selkirk, received on Dec. 18 a number of new toys from students, which he had told the students were to be donated to the Toys for Tots program. The Toys for Tots program had, according to the report, ended on Dec. 11.

The report says that Baker hid the toys in a large cardboard box, which he then placed in his car.

 When Baker was confronted by his supervisor about the items in the box, he stated that they were school supplies, the report says; it adds that he told a co-worker that the box contained files.

 Baker turned himself in to Guilderland Police on Dec. 21, was charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and was processed and released on appearance tickets. He is due in Guilderland Town Court today, Jan. 7. 

 Superintendent Marie Wiles said that the school district has begun its own investigation, and that she was not prepared to comment beyond that.

 She did say that he began teaching social studies at Guilderland on Feb. 7, 2002, or almost 14 years ago.

 The Enterprise reported, in 2012, that the Guilderland School Board had approved funds for two international trips, with content linked to course curricula; one of them was for Robert Baker to take students from a course called Advanced Placement Euro to Italy and Spain.