Jordan Bank kindergarten decorates a Longwood Christmas tree

Mrs. Malone and Mrs. Kiebler’s Kindergarten students from the Oxford Area School District’s Jordan Bank Elementary school visited Longwood Gardens to view their very own decorated Christmas tree on Dec. 11. Their tree adorned 100 student created ornaments recreating the tree from the story “Night Tree” by Eve Bunting. The story is about a family that decorates a pine tree in the forest from year to year on Christmas Eve in order to supply wild forest animals with a Christmas Day feast. The Kindergartener’s created paper mache tangerines and apples, pine cone owls, birds and mice, and gum tree ball stars.

There are no words to describe the excitement displayed by the Kindergarten children upon viewing their own creations on display! It was a real sense of accomplishment as many onlookers that day commented on the beauty of the decorations and asked the students about “Night Tree”.

Thanks to the efforts by Mr. Hamburg, Jordan Bank’s principal for permitting students and parents to take a trip to Longwood at low cost and utilize the complimentary tickets that Longwood afforded to each student for participating. It was surely a memorable trip! The tree is on view throughout Longwood’s Holiday Display season running from Thanksgiving day through Jan. 9, 2013.