The first annual Hispanic Heritage Month door decorating contest wrapped up on Friday, November 5 and the winners were announced via Twitter on Tuesday, November 9. Spanish teacher Conny Gutierrez’s class took first place with journalism teacher Jeni Daley and art teacher Toni Britt’s classes tying for second place.

“The students did a great job,” Gutierrez said. “They had an idea and brought it to life!”

All blue day seminar classes were encouraged to decorate their doors to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, which began on Thursday, September 15, and ended on Saturday, October 15. 

“It’s so easy to criticize in our world, but I love that the Climate and Culture Group found a way to celebrate a population that is growing in our community and that added student artwork on our walls,” Daley said. “It beautified our school and like I said, just celebrated that community.”

The idea was for all students to participate in the door decorating contest and work together to come up with something that showed Hispanic culture and history, as well as create something beautiful. 

“I’m most proud of how well we all worked together,” junior Caitlin Nalker, a student in Daley’s seminar, said. “It was nice seeing everyone be very happy and cheerful and throwing out ideas…it was really more a team bonding experience than a project.”

Both students and teachers were happy to jump on board to do the project, even if it meant that they had to work a little extra harder.

“My students decided to hop on board on the last day and so we kind of rushed around in the spirit of yearbook deadlines and figured out a solution,” Daley said. “We featured Hispanic artists who had passed away and one of my students suggested that we make an ofrenda to all of these former Hispanic artists. I think it was really fun getting to be creative with my students to create something amazing.”

Teachers were pleased with what their students came up with.

“We were really happy with [the door],” Britt said.

Teachers also decided to help out students when needed.

“I helped them do the pattern, and I contributed to the doves and the flowers, and then I helped Sam [Ponton] make the pattern, but she put the face and the shirt and all that together,” Britt said. “All the kids did the coloring and painting; everybody contributed.”

Some were even working outside of class to get the project completed.

“One of my kids came in during her last hour of the day and we did the bottom part of the ofrenda together but the other kids came up with who the artists should be and put them up there,” Daley said.

Besides getting to work on a fun project, students were able to learn more about Hispanic culture and many Hispanic figures.

“We really wanted to highlight important figures in the Hispanic art community,” Nalker said. “We printed out pictures of the artists and one or two pictures of their work, and I suggested that we make an ofrenda since it’s a big part of Hispanic culture.”

Overall, the project was a massive success and the contest will be held annually. 

“I think kids that are willing to go beyond just traditional school work really adds to the school spirit of our school,” Daley said.

The result of all the artwork on the doors added lots of colors and artistic efforts to the school. 

“I very much enjoyed walking down the halls and seeing so much creativity and culture!” Gutierrez said.