Austintown students bedeck boughs

Photo

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR Fourth-graders at St. Joseph-Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Austintown show off the Christmas trees they made using their imagination and creating their own ornaments. In front, from left to right are Peter Wolfe, Cadence Pounds, Trevor Saxton and Evan Madison. In back are teacher Melissa Chalker, Chase Pastor, Molly Burke, Connor Blazek, Allysa Leskovac, Lindsey Varso, Alaysia Griffin and Cameron Putteet.

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

At St. Joseph-Immaculate Heart of Mary School, a Lumen Christi school, Melissa Chalker’s fourth-grade students challenged their imagination and holiday spirit when they poured a lot of effort into decorating tabletop Christmas trees to brighten up Humility House, a long-term care facility.

Chalker, in her first year teaching at SJIHM, wanted a Christmas project for the students that would nurture faith, cooperation and service while making use of their own unique talents.

The students had fun using their imagination to brighten others’ holidays. They created their own ornaments and designed their own theme trees.

One student decorated a tree in orange and brown. Remind anyone of a football team? Student Alyssa Leskovac was excited to be able to make someone else feel joy. Molly Burke, a classmate, said it made her feel good to give to someone who doesn’t have a tree. And besides that, she had fun. Lindsey Varso said decorating the tree made her happy.

Their teacher was thrilled with the results of the children’s efforts.

Students at SJIHM, which is located at 4470 Norquest Blvd., are from Canfield, Austintown, Youngstown, North Jackson, Diamond, Lake Milton, Newton Falls and South Range.

Lumen Christi Catholic Schools is a newly formed system of schools in the Youngstown Diocese, comprising Holy Family, St. Charles, St. Christine, St. Joseph, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Patrick, St. Nicholas and the Early Childhood Learning Centers.

The Youngstown Chapter of Telecom Pioneers, a philanthropic group of retired Ohio Bell employees, donated the trees for the students’ Christmas project.