S
anta Claus will soon be coming to town, and state officials are inviting students in Kanawha County and around West Virginia to help get him to the capital city.
Cathy Justice, wife of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and the state’s first lady, recently announced the annual student ornament competition. This year’s theme is, “Deck the halls with Santa Claus.”
“Students are encouraged to draw inspiration from their most beloved image or memory of Santa as they craft their ornaments,” the First Lady said in a release announcing the competition.
The competition is open to all students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Pupils may be enrolled in public or private schools, or be home-schooled, officials said. Ornaments will be displayed at the Culture Center during the winter season.
Ornaments will be judged in four divisions, each categorized by grade level. The four divisions include K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
One winner will be selected from each division. Grand prize winners receive gift cards.
After being displayed on the holiday tree, the four winning ornaments will be donated to the West Virginia State Museum’s permanent collection.
While students have full creative direction over their designs, there are a few contest rules. According to officials, creations should:
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Represent the “Santa” theme;
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Be no larger than 10 inches tall; and
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Be constructed with lightweight materials (i.e., paper, foam board, cardboard, felt, paper mache, etc.)
All entries should include a teacher’s name, school and class, email address, phone number and mailing address. Any entries without these details may be displayed but not judged.
If several students from the same class are submitting, only one ornament per class will be judged.
Entries should be mailed to Elizabeth Yeager, Department of Arts, Culture and History, The Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, West Virginia 25305.
Ornaments should be submitted by Friday, November 22, 2024. Entries postmarked after that date cannot be judged. They will not be returned.
Contest winners will be notified the week of Dec. 2. Ornaments will be unveiled during the yet-to-be-scheduled Joyful Night celebration at the state Capitol Complex, which is usually held in early December.
“We truly appreciate your participation in this holiday tradition,” Justice said.
More information on the 2024 First Lady Student Ornament Competition can be found on the governor’s website.
