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Springfield Elementary students create unique trees
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Fourth-grade students at Springfield Elementary School sang carols Tuesday as they created a “Christmas Tree Lane” with their personalized trees.
By Ashley Luthern
aluthern@vindy.com
NEW MIDDLETOWN
As Springfield Elementary students sang carols Tuesday, their faces were illuminated by the soft glow of holiday lights on Christmas trees.
For almost 20 years, fourth-grade students in Springfield have transformed wire-hanger bases into short Christmas trees, decorated in themes ranging from spiders to snowmen.
About 50 students lined up their trees on long tables and sang carols while their family members and friends walked through the “Christmas Tree Lane.”
“It’s a project between students and parents. They come in and work on the trees, and each tree is individualized,” said Paul Butto, a fourth-grade teacher.
It started as a simple art project but has become a tradition and something students look forward to, he said.
“It’s a staple in the community now,” Butto said.
Fourth-grader Sara Chuey’s tree was decked out with gold lights and filmy butterflies.
“I chose butterflies
because they are my favorite insect,” she said.
Chuey said her mom,
Jamie Chuey, helped her create the tree’s decorations and her grandmother, Beverly Chuey, attended the program.
“You feel so much pride when you see your grandchildren do something like this,” Beverly said. “[Sara] will definitely keep her tree, and she loves to decorate.”
The students took their Christmas trees home Tuesday, and many families keep them for years to come, Butto said. A couple of years ago, for example, members of the high-school choir lined the stage with their own fourth-grade Christmas tree keepsakes during a performance.
“It’s a rite of passage,”
Butto said.