- Photo Gallery of Guests - Photo Gallery of Decorations - Collection of Student Learning Statements

Education is one of the top three priorities of Governor Granholm’s initiatives; and this project combines student learning, expression and accomplishment. The schools selected represent Michigan’s geographic and demographic diversity. Each piece of art showcases a student’s creativity and interpretation of a specific style of learning. The Michigan Department of Education provided sample activities and curriculum plans to 35 schools that accepted the invitation to participate in the project. The sample activities contained benchmarks in the arts and other core subjects for each grade level and served as springboards for teachers to create learning activities that corresponded with the theme of “Many Ways of Learning.”

These pieces are hung on a Michigan concolor fir tree donated by Slocum Brothers Tree Farm in Hart, on garland throughout the residence, and on the Ceremonial Office tree. 3-D art is displayed throughout the Residence. The student artists range from kindergarten to high school age students of all ability.

A warm thank you to all schools who submitted the unique and special Holiday Decorations.
1. Academy of the Americas, Detroit Public Schools
2. Baldwin High School, Baldwin Public Schools
3. Barber Focus School of Math, Science & Technology, Highland Park Schools
4. Brimley Area Schools, Brimley
5. Bryant Middle School, Dearborn Public Schools
6. Calumet High School, Calumet Public Schools
7. CLK Elementary School , Calumet Public Schools
8. Community Partnerships Program, College for Creative Studies, Benton Harbor Public Schools
9. Coopersville Junior High School, Coopersville Area Public Schools
10. Corunna High School, Corunna Public Schools
11. Corunna Middle School, Corunna Public Schools
12. Creative Arts/Gifted & Talented Academy, Benton Harbor Public Schools
13. Dearborn High School, Dearborn Public Schools
14. Detroit City High School, Detroit Public Schools
15. Detroit Edison Public School Academy, Detroit Public Schools
16. Durand High School, Durand Area Schools
17. Elsa Meyer Elementary, Corunna Public Schools
18. Erickson Elementary School, Ypsilanti Public Schools
19. Floyd M. Jewett Elementary and Mesick Middle School, Mesick Consolidated Schools
20. Greenfield Union Pk-8, Detroit Public Schools
21. Keewenaw Krayons, Mohawk
22. Kelloggsville Middle School, Kelloggsville Public Schools
23. Louise Peacock Elementary, Corunna Public Schools
24. Luther Elementary/Pine River Area School, Pine River Area Schools
25. Maple Lane Elementary, Macomb Intermediate School District
26. Michigan School For The Deaf, Michigan Department of Education in Flint
27. Nellie Reed Elementary, Corunna Public Schools
28. North-East Education Center, Muskegon County
29. Pleasant View Magnet School, Lansing Public Schools
30. River Oaks Elementary, Dearborn Public Schools
31. Rogers Lane Elementary, Wyoming Public Schools
32. Taft Elementary, Wyoming Public Schools
33. Vowles Elementary, Mt. Pleasant Public Schools
34. Watersmeet Township School District
35. Wyoming Park High School, Wyoming Public Schools

The art submitted includes: homemade garland, a floral display with symbols that represent a variety of tools utilized in the learning process, homemade ornaments depicting a variety of holiday symbols and letters of the alphabet, a homemade wood screen that a woodshop class carved, miniature Ford car ornaments, stain-glass ornaments, pottery angels and many more. Each item is unique and wonderfully crafted.

Participating Schools were invited to visit the Governor’s Residence for a Special Open House on Wednesday, November 30, 2005. 23 schools were able to make the field trip.

Student participants were asked to complete a form telling us their name, grade, and school and explain what they learned while working on the “ABC’s of Michigan: Many Ways of Learning” project.

We encourage you to take a look at what each student took from this project. History, woodworking, painting, floral arranging, ornament making, and weaving were all new skills that Michigan’s students were able to acquire through this project.