A letter from First Lady Cathy Justice
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Greetings from the Governor’s Mansion!
It is my pleasure to invite students from your school to “Deck the Halls with Doggy Paws” by creating a special Christmas ornament for the 2023 First Lady Student Ornament Competition. This year, our theme pays tribute to West Virginia’s cherished canine companions. Students are encouraged to draw inspiration from our Friends With Paws school therapy dogs or my family’s beloved pet, Babydog, as they craft their ornaments!
All classrooms are welcome to participate by creating and submitting an ornament. Please share this opportunity with your school’s art teacher or any teacher interested in turning this into a class project. All ornaments will be displayed at the West Virginia State Capitol Complex during the 2023 holiday season and categorized by grade levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each ornament will be individually judged, and one winner will be selected from each division.
The winning individuals, groups, or classes will be invited to participate virtually in the State Capitol’s annual holiday event, the Joyful Night Celebration. Further details will be provided to the winners. In January 2024, the four winning ornaments will be donated to the West Virginia State Museum for their permanent collection.
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Students may mail their entries to:
Elizabeth Yeager
Department of Arts, Culture and History
The Culture Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV 25305
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Detailed information on the ornament decoration procedure along with photos of the therapy dogs can be found below. If you have any questions, email Elizabeth Yeager at Elizabeth.A.Yeager@wv.gov.
Every year, we look forward to hosting this competition with the Department of Arts, Culture and History. The Governor and I both love dogs…and will really enjoy seeing your creativity shine! We wish you a wonderful school year and truly appreciate your participation in this holiday tradition.
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Design Information for the 2023 First Lady Student Ornament Competition
- Only one ornament per class is allowed for judging.
- The ornament should represent or pay tribute to one of our West Virginia Friends With Paws school Therapy dogs or the Governor and First Lady’s English Bulldog, Babydog.
- The ornament must be no taller than 6 inches and can be three-dimensional
- For the construction of the ornament, use a lightweight wood or lightweight materials such as paper, foam board, cardboard, felt, or paper mache.
- Be creative! Decorate your ornament with items such as glitter, paint, crayons, aluminum foil, or paper.
- You must write on the reverse side of the ornament or attach the following to the ornament:
- Teacher’s name
- School and Class
- Email address
- Phone number
- Mailing address
If the information is not written on the reverse side of the ornament or attached to the ornament, it will be displayed on the tree, but not eligible for judging.
- Attach a five-inch loop of string or ribbon to hang the ornament on the tree.
- The ornament will not be returned.
- The ornament must be received no later than Friday, November 17, 2023, at the Department of Arts, Culture and History. Ornaments received after this date cannot be judged.
- The winning classes will be notified the week beginning November 27th
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