Our Beloved Day of Tree Trim

By: Alexa Neal

Every year, right before winter break, Tower Hill presents its annual Tree Trim, a festive day to bring together the entire school and celebrate the winter break. Although the main event of Tree Trim is the magical lighting of the tree, it connects the Hiller community more than ever as we get excited for the holiday season.

Tree Trim morning opened with the advisory bake-off. The faculty engaged in a similar baking competition, and Mrs. Koenig describes it as a “great way to build holiday spirit among the faculty.” This activity fostered community within the staff at Tower Hill, and lifted the mood amidst all for the season, having Mr. Vaughn eager to double his efforts in order to win next year.

Upon entering the field house after the bake-off, lights and decorations immediately fill the space with joy, and then the marvelous tree captivates the room, waiting to be decorated with ornaments by our Hillers. The ceremony began with a holiday performance by our concert band, setting an atmosphere of cheer for the day to come. Olivia Elton, a sophomore and alto saxophonist in the band, remarked highly on performing at Tree Trim: “Playing with the band at Tree Trim is a really good way to unite everyone, and it provides the music!”

Following the holiday tune was a succession of commemorative speeches, notably the traditional senior speaker. Each year preceding Tree Trim, the seniors elect someone to represent their class, and this year, Valerie Thompson was nominated, which granted her cherishing thoughts about Tree Trim. “I feel so incredibly honored to be chosen by my classmates. Tree Trim has always meant so much to me, and getting to speak felt almost magical. It’s definitely bittersweet knowing this was my last Tree Trim, and although I’m excited for what’s next, I’ll always cherish the memories I’ve made here, especially around Tree Trim with the people I love. Going from being one of the little kids to lifting them now made it feel full-circle and a little too real. I’m so grateful for this community and for getting to grow up in a place that cares about me just as much as I care about it.”

After heartfelt speeches were delivered, the decorating of the tree began. Cheerful music rang in the background while children excitedly got ready to dress up the tree with their handcrafted ornaments. Tree Trim, while being a fun and exciting event for younger Hillers, is also deeply meaningful to our seniors. Lifer and senior Thatcher Flynn remarks on the sentimentality he found on this day, reminiscing on his previous Tree Trims: “I actually remember my buddy doing that, and now it makes me feel so happy to see more people who are going to experience what a great community Tower Hill has.”

Tree Trim, a day loved by students and faculty alike, brings a joyful close to the year and commemorates the Tower Hill community through holiday cheer.