Howard Christmas Tree Tradition Going Strong
by Matthew Partain and Morgan Slappy
COVID-19 has been a disruptive force in our lives practically for the past two years, and with new variants emerging it can be a daunting vision of our immediate future. While the holiday season comes with its own joys and stressors, one of the things I personally look forward to is working with students to decorate the 12-foot Christmas tree in the Atrium at Howard High School. The sense of community and joy that such a simple thing as assembling and decorating a tree can bring is just short of miraculous, and I am always glad to see the fun and share in some of the jokes and general good cheer.
The evolution of this tradition has been something to watch. My first year at Howard 2016, the tree that I inherited was a 9-foot tree with several blown bulbs, worn wiring and a limited selection of ornaments, hardly any garland, and it did not do much in the way of inspiring or adding to the ambience of the front of the school, in fact, it was previously set up in the corner of the atrium out of the way. Our principal at the time, Dr. Shannon Norfleet granted permission for me to procure a new tree for the 2017–2018 school year, with decorations under a budget of course! Well, the school secretary, bookkeeper and I went on a hunt for a good deal on a tree, one that would be of a decent size to complement the center of the Atrium. We lucked out at Sam’s and procured the 12-foot tree we have today, and it has kept up its shape and we have yet to have an issue with the lights (fingers crossed!!).
To stay within budget, and to include some creativity and provide a nod to Howard’s surroundings, Mrs. Dinah Redding, Mrs. Melinda Powell, and myself came up with the idea to gather greenery and create evergreen floral arrangements to complement the season and I found a way to make some pinecone ornaments. Each year there is a new addition to the theme/ décor of the tree. Mrs. Dinah Redding creates a new tree topper and accents annually.
When the tree decorating tradition started, it was on a volunteer basis where students primarily from the National Honor Society and Student Council volunteered 4 hours on a Saturday to help decorate the atrium and entryways. We would celebrate our accomplishment with a little pizza lunch. Over the years, even after I took on the National Honor Society, I wanted to give students more opportunity to help, so I moved to doing it on a school day where the students could help. This year, I wanted a small group of seniors to assist because I wanted to revitalize/ stimulate the school spirit and give an activity that they could participate it. Two small groups were working, one set up materials and the others fluffed the tree. Students spaced themselves out, wore masks, and did all that they were able to do to keep themselves and each other safe. The teamwork was inspiring to witness.
Morgan Slappy, a senior, was one of the many who contributed in the process of decorating the tree. She said that putting up the Christmas tree was an amazing experience. “It’s always been a Howard tradition, and I’m glad I was a part of it. This was a great exercise for my peers and I to get into the holiday spirit and to also get to learn more about one another.”
Slappy said that her classmates and she had to work together, which was a great bonding exercise. She called it a “stress reliever, especially since we have been working so hard to finish out this semester.”
According to Slappy, the first task her classmates and she were assigned to do was getting Christmas decorations such as ornaments and wrapped presents from the storage area.
“When we came back to the designated area for the tree, we gathered parts needed to construct the tree,” Slappy said. “A group was tasked to assemble the tree, and the other half had to gather cranberry decorations and construct those to add into the tree. I was amazed and very proud to see the final outcome. It felt great to be included in this special tradition.”
While talking with students decorating the tree, the 2021 Homecoming King, Jaylen Parham, had a great idea. What if the Homecoming King and Queen placed the tree topper once the tree was finished? Currently there are few traditions in place for the winners of the Homecoming King and Queen titles, so I thought why not. I proposed/ backed the idea to our Principal Dr. Latoya Smith, and she agreed. Thank you, Dr. Latoya Smith, for continuing, fortifying, and expanding this tradition, and allowing new traditions to be made at Howard High School!
While it may not seem like a big deal to others, it has been such a joy to see the growth of our school mirrored in holiday traditions and the excitement shown by our students. Thank you to the following seniors for investing your time and energy into your school!
Keelien Adams
Jaydon Glover
Emari Henderson
T’Bari Jabari
Seth Jordan
Justin Lewis
Dezmen Lowe
Jaylen Parham
Aarya Patel
Alyvia Riggins
Jase Rivera
Destiny Sinclair
Morgan Slappy
Logan Smith
ZaNiyon Spencer
Colton Watson
Elijah Watson
Thank you to Mrs. Tyveshe “Shanta” Johnson for assisting in supervising and decorating, and to everyone else for another successful year decorating for the Holidays (year six of decorating in the books). I always appreciate being able to share what I know as well as what I have learned from my decorating mentor Mrs. Dinah Redding!
