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Black Diamond students rock in community-wide initiative

C. Ian McLaren School’s almost 200 students placed rocks they painted throughout the community on Oct. 1 in an initiative to bring the community together.

A simple gesture of thoughtfulness amongst primary school students in Black Diamond is bringing joy to citizens.

C. Ian McLaren School’s almost 200 Kindergarten to Grade 6 students placed rocks they collected and painted in late September throughout the community on Oct. 1 in a school-wide initiative developed by Grade 4 teacher Brittany Reitsma.

Reitsma came up with the idea for the community rock project after noticing several decorated rocks on a hike last summer.

“It sparked joy in me,” she said. “I thought this would be really cool in a time like COVID when people are feeling disconnected and isolated to see an art project out in the community so people can feel that sense of belonging again.”

Students in the school’s 10 classes spent Oct. 1 placing rocks by the river, along walking trails, on the school grounds, near town hall, throughout the dog park and in various other community spaces before designing a scavenger hunt for their buddy classes to find the well-placed rocks the following day.

“With COVID there are kids in cohorts so they only see one other class,” Reitsma said. “The kids saw that there’s other people from their building that did this project, too, so they could build that school community again.”

During the school’s Cougar Time at the end of the day on Friday, students from each class shared their experience and described their favourite rock. The rocks featured sunsets, insects, paw prints, nature scenes and patterns.

Reitsma’s students drew pictures of their favourite rock and wrote about it in their visual journals.

Chase Hemsworth, who painted an ocean with mountains and clouds on his rock, was filled with energy as he looked for the rocks painted by his peers.

“It’s cool,” he said while searching on a trail running parallel to the Sheep River. “We get to go back here and that’s where we started a little fort.”

Yuna Wi said she hopes seniors in Black Diamond will also look for the rocks and contribute some of their own to the community rock project.

“I think it’s great because we’re getting the community involved,” she said.

While some students expressed an interest in collecting the rocks they found on Friday, Reitsma discouraged it so the rocks can remain in place for others to find and enjoy.

“When other people walk by they can see these painted rocks and hopefully it gives them a feeling that it’s an act of kindness to have our rocks out there,” she said. “My hope, too, is that the students encounter all of the rocks at some point. Hopefully others will add to it.”

Tammy Rollie, OkotoksToday.ca

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