Fairfax County kids bring holiday cheer to Capitol Hill

US Sen. Mark Warner’s Capitol Hill office got a festive makeover when elementary students decorated a towering Christmas tree, shared holiday cheer, and pitched their own bills for a brighter future.

It’s the biggest tree to ever grace US Sen. Mark Warner’s Capitol Hill office—so large that it may take an act of Congress to get the star on top. Ornaments are a different story, thanks to help from a group of Fairfax County students. 

A total of 32 second through fifth graders from Weyanoke Elementary School visited the senator earlier this month. They brought handmade ornaments to hang on a 14-foot tall fresh cut Fraser fir from Mt. Rogers Tree Farm, located in Grayson County.

Photo contributed by the office of US Sen. Mark R. Warner

“This started more than a decade ago,” Warner said. “We’d bring in a Christmas tree and invite kids from different schools.”

According to US News & World Report, the elementary school selected this year serves approximately 570 students. 

“This was, again, a Title I school, so most of the kids were on free or reduced lunch. So they come from more challenging economic families,” Warner said. “You could see their eyes get big as they came into my office.“

While some students chose to hang their ornaments on lower branches, the senator helped when needed, using his height to place gingerbread cutouts, festive stars, and paper trees farther up on the tannenbaum. The senator noted that the decorating put him “in the beginning of the holiday spirit.”

The festivities continued with milk, cookies, and a jolly rendition of “Jingle Bells.”

Photo contributed by the office of US Sen. Mark R. Warner

As one might expect in Washington, the conversation shifted slightly to politics. Warner expressed to the kids that with his job, he gets to make laws. He asked what types of bills they would propose.

“Not saying that they were just like any other interest group, but they didn’t ask for world peace. They didn’t ask to trim the deficit,” Warner said. “One suggested banning homework. The other said more recess. A third said longer holidays. I guess lobbying self-interest in America starts pretty young everywhere.”

While we’ll have to wait until 2025 to see if any of those proposals make the cut, one thing’s for certain: It’s the holiday season in Virginia, and thanks to the grade school helpers, all of the decor is merry and bright. 

“It was a great time to be with them, and it’s one of my favorite days of the year,” Warner said.