KINDNESS Rocks at St Clare’s Primary School, Yarrabilba, where students have been painting rocks decorated in the themes of the school’s core values: faith, hope, justice, compassion and love.
Students painted three stones each – one for school, one for home and one for Yarrabilba Community Garden – the latter where they placed their work on the weekend.
St Clare’s principal Chris Thomas said the project was developed as an exercise in community building. Parents and community members into the school to work alongside the kids while they painted rocks for school, home and community garden.
“They kids got all excited about it,” he said.
Mr Thomas said the project was more than a simple art project.
“In the weeks leading up to the rock painting, we students and teachers explored the school values, what they look like, sound like and feel like,” he said.
“The kids took the time to design their rocks and learn what the words mean to them. It’s been project we can link to and build upon.”
Logan Village artist Julie Taschke, who worked with students on the project, returns to join the after school care program taking art classes.
The program was developed as a collaboration between Logan City Council, St Clare’s, the Yarrabilba Community Association and Lendlease. Those who painted rocks included area councillor Laurie Koranski.
“It was such fun rolling my sleeves up to join Logan artists, principal Chris Thomas and the wonderful students from St Clare’s Primary School to decorate stones in the theme of the school’s core principles,” she said.
“The Kindness Rocks project required children give thought to the school’s key principles by designing their concepts on paper before decorating the stones.”
“I was proud of my scales of justice decorated rock but it paled in comparison to the beautifully decorated and inspirational messages the children created.”
Rocks painted for the community garden were placed by students at a family day held on on Saturday, August 18.
Rocks painted for school will be placed in the St Clare’s Kindness Rock Garden, a feature of the soon to be completed school San Damiano – or sanctuary – boasting footbridge, path and labyrith built with assistance by trainee tradies from yourtown as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.
Mr Thomas said St Clare’s had a student population of about 160 students attending from grades prep to five with grade 6 launching in the new year. He said the school would cater for a maximum of 700 students with a Catholic high school planned 1km down the road by 2021.
