North Fork Community Montessori students in grades first through sixth made ornaments for the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree last week. Art instructor Shannon Castle said a few days before the Oct. 1 due date, "I think it will be interesting for the kids to think about their artwork being sent to the Capitol.

They can make something that can be displayed in an important place. Each of them will be unique."

Castle used acrylic paint and recycled fabric to make the mandalas. The fabric remnants came from thrift stores. Because the ornaments have to be able to withstand being outdoors, she wanted to make them lightweight. The painted designs used radial symmetry. If they put a design in one section, they repeated it, so the design goes around in a circle. Some of the symbols represent Colorado, such as a tree, plant or favorite animal that will be repeated in their design. The kids chose complimentary colors for their ornaments — red and green, purple and yellow or blue and orange.

Fifty-four students made mandalas to send to the Capitol Christmas Tree Project in Washington, D.C., however seven of the students liked theirs so much they chose to keep their mandalas.

Colorado was chosen to select a tree to stand before the Capitol Building and be decorated with 5,000 hand-made Christmas ornaments. Another 1,000 ornaments will decorate smaller trees inside buildings around Washington, D.C.

Montessori is a public school in the Delta County School District.

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