SAN ANGELO, Texas — Blue, black and silver craft supplies cover the classroom as the scent of hot glue guns fills the air.
Lake View High School's advanced floral design class is hard at work creating homecoming mums, a Texas tradition that first began in the 1930s and has blossomed ever since.
"The homecoming mum actually started in Texas," floral design teacher Jennifer Urbanek said. "So it's a big thing for all of us to keep that tradition alive, and it's a big thing for the high school students to wear their mums and show school spirit."
For the past four years, Urbanek has been helping students craft and sell mums in preparation for homecoming festivities.
In Floral 1, students learn basic skills like how to use a tape measure. They also create paper mums, and if they pass a certification test, they are able to move up to Floral 2 where they can use ribbon and living flowers.
"The unique thing about this program is it is fun for students," San Angelo Independent School District Director of Current Technical Education, Roxanne Fentress, said. "Mrs. Urbanek does a fantastic job of engaging students in projects. But in addition to that, these students are learning employability skills like responsibility, organization and time management."
The floral design program is part of the school's agricultural science studies and students have a unique opportunity to receive credit from Howard College by taking a variety of elective courses.
Juniors Jarrett Alemau and Angelina Galvan are both in Floral 2 this year and they feel more skilled after passing Floral 1.
"You make your own creativity into a mum and there's so many pretty designs...," Galvan said.
She said the silver ribbons are her favorite and Alemau said his favorite part of the process is "probably working with all the beautiful ribbons."
The students are getting ready for homecoming Sept. 9 by wearing differently themed outfits throughout the week, including "Las Vegas," "California" and school spirit.
"It's just to show your spirit for the team and just say, " 'Hey, we love our school and we're going to show that in this really pretty flower design,' " Galvan said.
Go to facebook.com/lvfloraldesign for more information on how to order floral designs.
