Dawson-Bryant fifth graders made ornaments for event

COAL GROVE — Coal Grove is now ready for Christmas with decorations up in Paul Porter Park and, after some help from some Dawson-Bryant fifth-graders, the community Christmas tree in the H. Jae Roush Building is decorated with handmade ornaments, chain ribbons and a Santa Claus hat for a topper.

The event was supposed to be held on Wednesday, but icy roads delayed it until Thursday morning.

Dawson-Bryant multiple disabilities teacher Lee Ann Cremeans said the fifth grade class has been working on the project for a couple weeks.

“We do this to give back,” she explained. “We want to teach our children about giving back to the community and give them a sense of citizenship and how important it is to be part of their community.”

The decorations varied from colored paper mittens to pine cones covered in glitter to chain ribbon made of green or red construction paper.

“We make most of them, but the pine cones we bought and then put glitter on them,” Cremeans said. “And we made paper chains like you used to. The whole fifth grade works on it. They all really enjoy it.”

Fifth grader Carli Spears said her favorite part of the event was putting ornaments on the community Christmas tree.

“I helped make the pine cones,” she said. “The whole thing has been fun.”

Vicky McDaniels, of the Coal Grove Betterment Club, was there to give out Christmas cookies, chips and juice boxes to the fifth graders.

She said the annual event is a tradition for the school students, going back at least 15 years.

“I just kept the tradition going,” she said. “My favorite part is seeing the faces of the kids as they decorate the tree. They were so excited.”