Our parish school recently recreated an art installation of the Great Barrier Reef in the school’s main and inside lobby. All kindergarten through eighth grade students participated under the guidance of Art Instructors Debbie Downie and Mary Massa. Students were encouraged to ‘swim’ through the installation as they arrived to school each day.
Eighth graders provided placards throughout the exhibit explaining symbiosis, threats to a coral reef, invertebrates, coral bleaching and the Australia coast coral reef. First through seventh graders created various ocean life primarily using recycled materials. Visitors were amazed to view barracuda, shark, crocodile, jelly fish, sea turtles, soft coral colonies, pillar coral, pelicans, sea urchin, parrot fish, snapper, and clown fish, sea horses, octopus, sea cucumber, algae, squid, wrasse fish, Jacob E Moray eel, zoo plankton, stingray, manatee, lobster, shrimp, sea anemone and hermit crabs. These were accompanied with a placard researched by eighth graders listing significant information along with fun facts. Kindergarten students designed Fish Books titled “Counting Fish.” Instructors Massa and Downie increased the fun of the installation by adding a life-sized mermaid and scuba diver. Photos of the entire installation may be viewed on the school website’s photo gallery.