One of the dozens of mini ofrendas / altars at Coconino High School. Click on image to read bilingual description of the ofrenda. Click on photos below for larger images. Unless noted, photos by Frank X. Moraga / www.AmigosNAZ.com ©2025 SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW.
FLAGSTAFF — Spanish language and English learning students at Coconino High School celebrated el Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead with their fourth annual shoebox ofrenda / altar competition.
Parents and students had the opportunity to view the ofrenda, ceramic sugar skulls, La Catrina images and other artworks during a celebration on Nov. 3, 2025. The winners were selected recently with students and others voting throughout the month, said teacher Francy Solarte
The event included a performance by Ballet Folklorico de Colores — Flagstaff and food prepared by students from the CHS Culinary Arts Level III and Baking and Pastry class.
Winners from the 2024 competition were displayed at a special ofrenda by Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces at the recent Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Some of the dozens of ofrendas presented at the Coconino High School Library. This group was created by students from Spanish 3/ Dual Enrollment, 1B Standard Level 11.
Dozens of mini ofrendas / altars could be found recently at the Coconino High School Library.
The school ofrenda / altarted was created by members of Club MEChA at Coconino High School. Courtesy photo.
CHS teachers organizing the contest and exhibit and participating in the Family night. SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW.
Below are some of the comments from the teachers who headed up the event.
From Francy Solarte, Spanish teacher
“This year’s Día de los Muertos Exhibition showcased new creative work. In addition to the Mini Altars created by Spanish and Structured English Immersion students, each honoring a family member, pet, or notable person—we also featured Calaveritas (literary poems) and Catrinas. One Spanish class prepared a special table dedicated to Hispanic individuals who experienced social injustice or inequalities, as part of their project “Altar for a Cause.” This altar honors first responders, farmers, immigrants, and Hispanic and Latino people who have lost their lives due to social injustice, connecting their work to the Justice and Action Standards. Two students also created alternative projects that showcase different cultural celebrations through posters.”
From Nadege Neta, Structures English immersion teacher
“Students in the SEI (Structured English Immersion) program at Coconino High School had a lot of fun creating mini altars and learning more about the products, practices and perspectives around the Day of the Dead Celebration. They beautifully honored people who were dear to them while practicing descriptive language and personal expression through their writing piece. In the intermediate class, students explored the Mexican tradition of calaveritas (skull poems). They read examples, analyzed the language and tone, and then wrote their own creative calaveritas. This activity helped students practice poetic expression while deepening their understanding of cultural traditions.”
From Kelly Woodruff, Art teacher
“Over 70 students created ceramic candy skulls this year for the wonderful event.“
Brisa Torres, Spanish Teacher
“It was so great seeing many families during this special event at Coco. I was so grateful to be part of this amazing experience for another year. The mini-altars looked beautiful and it was wonderful to see the families looking at the details of the altar and reading about the person or pet the student talked about. This year, my IB Spanish HL 12 class worked on a different project. Students gathered recycled materials to create a Catrina, which is a tall elegant female skeleton that is dressed in luxurious clothing. While creating this, students used their creativity and critical thinking skills to build a Catrina that had to meet the requirements of the project. The Catrina is a significant symbol during the celebration of the Day of the Dead. I believe that adding this project for this years’ Day of the Dead celebration was culturally significant to our community and our students had fun building their Catrina.”
Janielle Buckley, Culinary teacher
Courtesy photo.
“CHS Culinary Arts Level III and Baking and Pastry students participated in the Day of the Dead celebration by making “Pan de Muerto.” This delicious, fluffy, brioche-style bread, is flavored with orange and lemon zest. It is decorated with dough “bones” and a central “skull.” This bread is made to honor deceased loved ones.”
Teacher Francy Solarte expressed her gratitude to all those who participated and made the annual event possible.
“We want to give special thanks to our sponsors, who generously provided gift cards for the winners: Walmart on Huntington, Safeway on Cedar, Dairy Queen, Las Gorditas Mexican Restaurant, and Dutch Bros,” she said.
“We also thank our jurors for this year: Ms. Viera Soto, CHS Counselor; Mrs. Reyes, CHS Teacher; and Mrs. Khatibi, Executive Director of the Literacy Center.”
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