On a sunny mid-afternoon, seniors gathered in the peace garden Oct. 13 to paint pumpkins and plant tulips during their study hall. Led by theology teachers Stephanie Pino-Dressman and Polly Holmes, the students had the opportunity to plant tulip bulbs in the peace garden with a hand written note about their dreams, wishes or thanks. The bulbs are expected to grow by spring time. 

“To me, it kind of signified the growing of hope,” said senior Mattie Mills. “I felt that the note encouraged me to think about my future and what my dreams are for it. I think it was a great way to leave a little legacy at Sion as the flowers come up every year.” 

Neon, matte and rainbow paints were left out on white tables set up for students to pull up a chair and decorate the pumpkin they brought. Some students chose to turn their pumpkin into a spider or ghost while others used it as an opportunity for creative expression and splattered paint on their “canvas.” Overall, the halloween theme event was packed with a majority of the senior class. 

“My favorite was painting my pumpkin,” senior Abby Delong said. “I painted stripes going down it which took up the whole time. Overall I think it was a cute bonding experience for the seniors and a fun way to kick off the fall season together as a class.”

Tulips are naturally perennials, coming back year-after-year. Species tulips not only return year after year, but they multiply and form clumps that grow bigger each year, a process called naturalizing. Meaning next spring the peace garden will not only be full of bright colored tulips but also carry the senior class’ hopes and wishes for 2021. They shoveled the dirt six inches deep before placing the bulbs and wishes together, and then covering it with soil. 

“It was great to be able to ‘get away’ from everything else and bond with my fellow senior sisters,” Senior Bella Aquino said. “It was a beautiful day too. My favorite part was writing down a hope and planting it especially since my friends and I planted all of ours together.”