NJ Students Craft Ornaments For State Tree By White House

HOPATCONG, NJ — As the trees on the Ellipse in Washington D.C.’s President’s Park twinkle with the glow of Christmas cheer, New Jersey’s is touched with ornaments celebrating why the state is so special.

Kids building sandcastles on the beach, children fishing from rowboats with the grown-ups in their lives and pictures drawn of things in the state that have caught the attention of their young eyes, from lighthouses to deer to pumpkins, were among some of the ideas that came from first grade students in Shawna Longo’s art classes at Durban Avenue School.

Longo, a Music Teacher and Arts Integration Specialist, who was also chosen in 2021 as Sussex County Teacher of the Year, along with her first grade art students, were picked for this special project by the New Jersey Department of Education.

“I am proud and excited to represent New Jersey and give my students the opportunity to create original ornament designs that will be viewed by countless people from all over our country during the holiday season,” Longo said.

How did Longo and the students begin with their ornament-making?

She said they first took part in an arts integration lesson on New Jersey history, translating New Jersey’s special qualities into art. The National Park Service, which spearheaded the program, featured one of the ornaments on its page, mentioning kids learned about the state's diverse geographical regions, as well as its flag, flower, animal and other notable facts, before making their ornaments.

After brainstorming then finalizing their designs with colored pencils and markers, there were 20 picked that the National Park Service transferred from paper onto ornaments.

The ornament-creation program was sparked a century ago, Longo said, through a National Park Service program called “America Celebrates: Ornaments Across the USA,” with President’s Park in Washington D.C. a National Park.

From there, students from each state or territory throughout the United States, make ornaments for their tree.

The first grade students who participated in making ornaments from Durban Avenue School were:

From Melanie Ryder’s class: Michael Carucci, Jaxon Christie, Romina Johnson, Maelyn Everard, Agustin Freiria, Antonina Cappello and Elliana Pacheco.

From Diana Pinto’s class: Joseph Martinez, Heaven Castro-Dinkins, Abigail Stewart, Kaia O’Hara, Sarrinah Javed, Tristan Culi and Melody Brown.

From Dana DeMetro’s class: Liliana Albiani-Agudelo, Gianna Goldson Leonardi, Mialynn Wood, Matthew Herasme, Christopher Ordonez and Jason Fuentes.

One student, Agustin Freiria, who visited the tree the weekend of Dec. 11 with his family, told Longo, “It was super exciting and fun to see my ornament on the tree,” she said.

Principal Katherine McFadden, who also recently visited the tree, called it an “amazing experience," having been given special access to take photos from behind the barrier when she was there, with the atmosphere “well-organized and festive,” holiday music playing in the background, as visitors stopped to look at the tree.

“People who were walking through were asking questions about the school and where we are located,” McFadden told Patch, adding that one of the Park Rangers said to her he is always happy when school representatives come to see the ornaments on the trees that their students had designed.

The week before, McFadden was told that representatives from Connecticut and Colorado had been in to see their trees.

Longo said she plans to visit the tree on the school’s break between Christmas and New Year.

“I am thrilled for our students and the entire Hopatcong community,” said Dr. Joseph Piccirillo, the district’s superintendent.

Piccirillo tweeted some photos taken by McFadden during her visit:

Congrats to Durban Ave Elementary and Principal McFadden. Here she is in Washington DC to see our ornaments which were chosen to represent NJ! #chiefbelief @GovMurphy @HopatcongSchool @NJHerald @1SussexCoNJDOE pic.twitter.com/A0rDYwl83E
— Dr. Joseph S. Piccirillo (@ChiefPiccirillo) December 12, 2021

See the video below of McFadden with the tree in Washington D.C.:

Twenty ornaments designed by first graders from Durban Avenue Elementary School in Hopatcong were chosen to adorn the New Jersey Christmas tree in President's Park in the nation's capital. https://t.co/MizXAQMumW pic.twitter.com/oeQXa1n20L
— Hopatcong Schools (@HopatcongSchool) December 15, 2021

How can visitors see the trees in Washington D.C.?

It's free for visitors to see the National Christmas Tree and other trees, which are on display through Jan. 1, 2022. They can go 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday.

For more information, go to www.thenationaltree.org/visit-the-tree-2 or call President's Park at 202-208-1631.

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