Union Middle School students turned to the sea for inspiration for their entry in the Festival of Trees, which is held to benefit Primary Children’s Medical Center. For five consecutive years, Union students have selected, planned and created a thematic Christmas tree to be displayed at the festival. This year, students spent several weeks working in groups, whittling down the ideas on which to base the tree’s theme. The end result was a colorful and unique tree titled “Under the Sea” and features a life-sized shark and scuba diver, as well as stained-glass fish, ocean-life ornaments and sculpted coral. All the decorations that were placed on the Union tree were conceived and hand-made by students. Themed trees from past years have included “Pirates of the Carribean,” “Safari,” and “Snowboarding.” In all, trees made by Union students have earned some $10,000.

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