Windy Celebration

Windy Celebration

Windy, planted in 1995, is a cypress tree that has been an integral part of our life at Little Gate. She gives us much needed shade in our hot climate and she gives us a peek into understanding seasons. Since she is actually one of the few trees in our area that is deciduous, she sheds her leaves in the fall, is bare in the winter and grows green again in the spring. Windy is home to many animals, mostly squirrels, who LOVE her cypress balls (seeds). She is a tree that greets us on our playground at the start of every school year, strong and full of life and she is there to wave goodbye during the summer months.

Windy was planted in our school yard, which looked nothing like it does today, over 25 years ago as a three foot sapling. We chose a Louisiana bald cypress tree for its ability to grow quickly in order to give us natural shade.  Each year we celebrate Windy's birthday as a community to appreciate her growth, her amazing branches and the wonderful shade she provides for us.

Little Gate’s entrance room is dedicated to Windy in an effort to bring nature indoors. Her landscape adorns the walls and branches hang from our ceiling, created by local artist Khaki Foley, representing Windy taking care of our children as they enter our doors. The room is magical, creating a similar feeling of laying underneath the outdoor Windy and looking up to the very top while being surrounded by the many birthday decorations that hang from her branches created annually by Little Gate students.