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Fagaitua HS to create Christmas ornaments for “American Celebrates”

File photo of National Christmas Tree from past year.
A total of 56 smaller trees will surround the 2018 National Christmas Tree
Source: Media Release

Washington, D.C. — Fifty-six schools across the country are creating one-of-a-kind ornaments for the 2018 National Christmas Tree experience on the Ellipse in President’s Park in Washington, D.C., and Fagaitua High School has been selected to create these handcrafted ornaments that will adorn a smaller tree — representing American Samoa — with 55 other smaller trees that will surround the National Christmas Tree.

There will be 56 trees in total, representing each U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia as part of the “America Celebrates” display.

Funded by the National Park Foundation, the America Celebrates display is one of the highlights of the National Christmas Tree experience, which will begin on November 28 with the 96th Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Each school will create ornaments that celebrate its state, district or territory.

Through a partnership with the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Education worked with state art and education agencies to identify middle and high schools whose students would create the ornaments.

"It's an excitement and privilege — patriotism at its best,” Gavin Kumar, a 9th-grade student at Leonardtown High School in Leonardtown, Maryland said. “I'm excited that my artwork is going to be on display for thousands of people to see."

“We are very honored for our class to have such a great opportunity to represent the state of Michigan at the National Christmas Tree display," Aniyah Moore, a 12th-grade student at Carman-Ainsworth High School in Flint, Michigan said. "It will be fun to create the ornaments, and to show our creativity for our state.”

"I'm honored our small school has the opportunity to represent the beautiful Big Sky State, through art, at a national level,” Elizabeth Donahue, a 9th-grade student at Roundup Junior/Senior High School in Roundup, Montana said.

This year, Fagaitua High School — home of the Vikings — has been chosen to create the on-of-a-kind ornaments, representing American Samoa.

"Our Art teacher Mr. Vaimili Tyrell does a great job with our art department and we have students who are very into art like Ernest Nomura, who is a special student," said FHS principal Suaese Pooch Taase in response to a Samoa News request for comments. "When the opportunity presented itself, we felt it is a golden opportunity to represent American Samoa at the national level, through art."

Taase concluded, "It is a long process — with mailing and all — but we are able to manage and our Art Department has to meet deadlines to get our art piece ornaments back to Washington D.C."

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. It was a 48-foot fir donated by Middlebury College in Vermont.

Today’s National Christmas Tree is a living Colorado blue spruce from Virginia, which can be viewed year-round in President’s Park.

This year’s National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will kick off the holiday season with live musical performances, special guests and the official lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

The festivities continue with a daily lighting of the National Christmas Tree, free evening musical performances and a chance to see the 56 state, district and territory trees and their ornaments up close from December 1, 2018 through January 1, 2019.