SAN LUIS, AZ – A San Luis High School art class was selected by the U.S. National Park Service to decorate Christmas ornaments to be displayed on trees surrounding the National Christmas Tree at the White House.
Fifty-eight schools from around the United States were selected to participate. San Luis is the lone participant from the state of Arizona.
“When I found out my ornament was selected, I told my family about it and we were all really happy and proud,” SLHS sophomore Emily Oliveros said. “Making the ornament pushed me because I took it home and worked on it all night and I even worked on it when I was sick.”
Overall, 19 students from San Luis submitted ornaments. From state flowers to notable landmarks, their one-of-a-kind ornaments are meant to celebrate the place they call home. The San Luis ornaments will adorn one of 58 smaller trees that surround the National Christmas Tree. The trees represent states, territories, and schools managed by the Bureau of Indian Education and the Department of Defense Education Activity.
“I was very proud of myself and my work. I was very happy and excited,” SLHS sophomore Danely Ochoa said. “I was able to experience doing artwork for something big.”
The “America Celebrates” ornament program is an annual collaboration of the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Park Foundation (NPF). Each federal partner worked within their organizations to facilitate the identification of elementary, middle and high schools to participate in the America Celebrates program. The project is funded by the NPF.
The National Christmas Tree Lighting has strong ties to education.
In 1923, a letter arrived at the White House from the District of Columbia Public Schools proposing that a decorated Christmas tree be placed on the South Lawn of the White House. On Christmas Eve that year, President Calvin Coolidge walked from the Oval Office to the Ellipse and pushed a button that lit the first National Christmas Tree.
During World War II, wartime restrictions meant no new ornaments were purchased for the National Christmas Tree in 1942. Washington, D.C students donated ornaments that would supplement the use of reused ornaments from previous years.
This year, more than 2,600 students participated in the America Celebrates ornament program. The students, ages 4 to 19-years-old, learned about the places they call home. From history and ecological wonders, to exploring different mediums of art, these students’ ornaments are a must-see this holiday.
Since 1973, the National Christmas Tree has been a living tree which can be viewed year-round in President’s Park.
A gallery of all of the San Luis students’ ornament artwork is available on the school’s official Facebook page: https://bit.ly/SLHSOrnaments