The Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue helped spread some Christmas cheer in local schools.

Delivered in conjunction with the Hunter River Times newspaper, the Dialogue Christmas in the Classroom competition aims to help local schools and their students showcase the festive season while celebrating and farewelling the school year.

For the third year, schools involved with the Dialogue’s School Mine Tours Program were offered $150 ‘buy local’ gift cards to help decorate their classrooms for Christmas.

The competition aims to benefit local businesses as the gift cards must be spent with participating businesses within the school’s local government area.

The Dialogue rewards the top three school Christmas decoration projects, with the winners receiving buy local gift cards – first place $750, second place $500 and third place $250, to be used on a school project of their choice.

Primary and secondary schools across the Upper Hunter entered the competition in 2023, with the top prize taken out by the students at St Mary’s Primary School in Scone. Second place was awarded to students at Muswellbrook High School Support Unit and third place to students at Jerry’s Plain’s Public School.

With the benefits for students and local businesses, the Dialogue expects to offer Christmas in the Classroom again in 2024.