Today we are IN THE CLASSROOM at Frisco Elementary, where students of all ages are feeling the holiday spirit, Summit County-style, with the Krystal 93 holiday card contest.
“They ran with your example of the snowman and the Christmas Tree, but there was Santa snowboarding and skiing, and I loved seeing that,” Frisco El art teacher Becca Spiro told us, soon after handing over nearly 100 entries from students in every grade.
Ms. Spiro heard about the contest while driving into work one day. It came at the perfect time. Most of her students had finished a month-long clay project and their teacher was looking for a festive way to fill the time before winter break.
“In my experience teaching over the years, the less rules, the better, the less direction, the better, because then you see their creativity really let loose,” Spiro said. “The contest was open-ended, just holiday cards. There weren’t even, dimensions listed, or the materials that you could use.”
And her students let loose, submitting cards created with crayons, colored pencils, fingerpaints, felt pens, and even watercolors. Some were inspired by the cash prize, but most were inspired by each other.
“Fifty dollars was quite a bit of money to these kids, and they were talking about what they could buy – Sharpies, stickers, candy,” Spiro laughed. “They were so excited. And then, with every class that did it, there was more and more competition, this healthy competition between the students.”
Ms. Spiro is a familiar face at Frisco El. She taught there for several years before taking a hiatus to run a mobile art studio, Frosted Flamingo, and raise her two young children. It was just the break she needed.
“I was a little tentative (to come back) because, you know, it was so challenging the last time,” Spiro said. “But this feels like a great fit. The teachers at Frisco Elementary are incredible. Todd, the principal, is wonderful. Everybody is just a really strong community.”
See the Frisco El winners and more in our 2025 student holiday card gallery.
Starting Wednesday, Dec. 17, see them on display in person at iFurnish in Frisco. They will be there into the new year.
Thanks again for going IN THE CLASSROOM, proudly presented by Heavenly Times Hot Tubs and Billiards and Boost Oxygen.
