Traditions and school spirit

STANWOOD - One of the main tasks during the holiday season is decorating a Christmas tree.

Most families get together and put up their Christmas trees, decorating them with bulbs, ornaments, homemade Christmas decorations, lights and a tree topper such as a star or an angel.

North Cedar High School also follows this tradition with a big Christmas tree in the main hallway. The students decorated the tree with paper bell cut outs, which have every student's picture on them. George Housley, one of the high school custodians, also purchased large Styrofoam ornaments for clubs, organizations and advisory groups to decorate. These also were added to the tree.

Another tree in the building is the National Honor Society's hat and mitten Christmas tree. NHS members put up the hat and glove Christmas tree in the cafeteria to collect new or lightly used hats, mittens and gloves for the less fortunate. Last year, the NHS collected more than 80 hats and mittens to give out.

National Honor Society also gives all the students 'Winter Wishes” slips. It is a chance for students to make a wish to give someone within the North Cedar High School family a little Christmas cheer.

Spanish classes have traditions to get into the Christmas spirit as well. Nancy McKinstry, the Spanish teacher at North Cedar, begins the holiday season by having her students make red and green snowflakes, otherwise known as papel picado. She attaches the snowflakes to string and hangs them from the ceiling to decorate the halls. The Spanish classes also make Christmas cards while listening to holiday music sung in Spanish. Because McKinstry uses music to teach some of her Spanish lessons, the students enjoy listening to traditional Christmas carols in a different language.

The Christmas cards are given to the staff at North Cedar High School and the remaining cards are given to either the Mechanicsville Nursing Home or the Clarence Nursing Home. This year, they are going to the Clarence Nursing Home. The Spanish classes sell white and red Christmas poinsettia's each year for extra funds for the Spanish program and for the students who plan on traveling in the future.

Selling poinsettias is another way for the students to spread the Christmas cheer with their friends and family while helping the Spanish program.

If you attend either the Christmas concert or an athletics event, you will see how the North Cedar students have 'decked the halls” with holiday decorations or get involved in 'giving.” North Cedar students and staff are creating memories for all with their many traditions.