MACGREGOR, Texas (KWTX) – As many Central Texas schools head into the homecoming season, McGregor High School’s floral design classes are working hard to attract more mothers than ever to students in the area.
“They will sell as much as the community needs,” said Chelsea Fewell, floral design teacher and McGregor ISD FFA advisor. “We try to provide a high-quality, affordable product to our community members, and we send order forms home with students in elementary, elementary, middle and high school.”
Students in the classroom are busy with the final touches of gluing, stapling, designing, trimming and heat pressing to make sure all the moms and bands are ready to be delivered to students to wear during Homecoming week.
“Right now, we’re at the peak of it because all of our moms are going out, so it’s hectic out there, but we’re getting everything done slowly but surely,” said student Julie Ribando.
Ribando enjoys the hands-on project and hopes the mothers’ composition and other projects will help her in her future career.
“I want to be an agriculture teacher probably, so this will help me be able to, if I want to teach advanced floristry one day, I can get the basic knowledge so I can do that,” she said.
This is her second year taking a floral design class, while third-year students are holding homecoming sales for moms in the area to raise funds for the floral design class.
“This is our main fundraiser for the year, and in theory, we sell enough to provide flowers for the rest of the class throughout the year without having to pay lab fees,” she said. “Every time we buy fresh flowers or just different materials and supplies, everything costs and adds up. Making sure everyone can access that at no cost is great.”
Students can choose the size and type of mom they want, such as “petite,” “peewee,” garter, or “traditional,” which range from $15 to $40 and include customization options as well as personalization.
This year is different for the class because not only are they set to reach new records in maternal sales, but the district has added a masterclass in floral design to meet the demand for interest in excelling in the course.
“I think it’s a fun thing to do, a lot of people like the hands-on activities you do in the store, but there’s no air conditioning in the store,” Fewell said. “So… not quite as dirty, but… flowers are everywhere. You can see them. They’re all year round. You’ll need them for birthdays and holidays, and I think you can see them everywhere. It’s practical.”
For those taking the course who want to pursue their career as florists, this course also helps them. Students are able to earn an industry-recognized certificate at the end of the design course so they have the opportunity to work as florists locally or for commercial companies, Fewell said.
One day, Fewell hopes to gain enough interest that there will be a two-hour, hands-on floral design class. In the off-campus class, students will work with professional florists.
Right now, the students are excited to finish the mothers and deliver the orders to the students.
“We pick up our mothers as we can see all the little kids coming in and picking up their mothers,” Ribando said. “The best part is seeing their smiles and how excited they are to have something personalized with their name or even their monogram and what they love to do. Their faces always light up when they wear them on a Friday night, sparkling in the lights.”
After the Mother Project, we return to books that include an educational and hands-on project, which they will be able to give away for free to students through the fundraiser.
McGregor High School football will kick off Friday’s homecoming game at 7:30 against Clifton.
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