Feel Good Story: Homecoming in Full Bloom: TMHS Students Celebrate School Spirit

Feel Good Story: Homecoming in Full Bloom: TMHS Students Celebrate School Spirit
September 26, 2025

Homecoming Week is always a time for excitement, tradition, and school pride. In the spirit of celebrating TMHS Homecoming, the TMHS Floral Design program found a unique way to bring students together—by creating a mega mum and continuing their long-standing tradition of crafting personalized mums and garters for PALS students.

The Giant Mum Project

Building on lessons learned in previous projects, the Advanced Floral Design students embraced a Homecoming Week challenge unlike any other: creating a towering, 19-foot mega mum that celebrated both creativity and school spirit.

Led by Floral Design teachers Ms. Smith and Ms. Dennison and inspired by an agriculture science specialist with previous mega mum experience, all 31 Advanced Floral Design students had the opportunity to take part in this new project.

“It took about three weeks—roughly 23 hours of class time—to complete, and the teamwork behind it was just incredible,” said Ms. Smith.

The final creation, now proudly hanging in the hallway, stands 19 feet tall and weighs close to 100 pounds. While only parts of this year’s mum will be kept, the tradition will carry forward. Each future class will add their own touches, making the giant mum a new Homecoming staple at TMHS.

Mums and Garters for PALS Students

In addition to the mega mum, Floral Design students upheld one of the most heartfelt TMHS Homecoming traditions: creating mums and garters for PALS students.

This tradition began eight years ago, when Ms. Smith wanted to ensure that every PALS student felt celebrated during Homecoming Week. What started as a class project has grown into a beloved highlight of the year, one that students describe as both meaningful and memorable.

Several Floral Design students shared their thoughts on this campus tradition:

• “It’s something that we take pride in, building relationships and bonds with the PALS students.” - Fabian Garza.
• “Getting to see their excitement on the day we present them is truly so amazing.” - Avery Tramel.
• “It makes me so happy that I get to make something for one of my friends.” - Catherine Armenta
• “Has really helped expand my creativity and attention to detail!” - Irish Peters

Each mum or garter is personalized to reflect a PALS student’s interests, often with Advanced Floral Design students bringing in their own purchased items to make them extra special. This year, community member Staci Barron generously donated all of the supplies, showing how the wider TMHS family rallies behind the project.

For Ms. Smith, this day is always the most special of the year, “Throughout the whole creating process, students are excited and having fun, but the day we present them to our PALS friends is by far the most amazing experience. It’s honestly my favorite day of the entire year.”

A Celebration of School Spirit and Unity

Between the giant mum and the PALS tradition, TMHS Floral Design has turned Homecoming into more than just a week of fun—it’s a celebration of togetherness, inclusion, and school pride.

“These projects create shared memories and traditions that bring our school closer together,” Ms. Smith said. “It’s a reminder that Homecoming is about more than a game—it’s about community.”