Handprints form American flag to mark 9/11 anniversary
FAIRFIELD — Students at Solano Christian Academy took a hands-on approach this week to marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The first-, second- and third-graders on Thursday put their handprints on a piece of butcher paper, all lined up to form the red stripes of the American flag.
Instructor Terri Wallacker applied poster paint to the right hand of each child. The students then made their way to the end of the paper, stretched out on a library table, and gently placed their hands on the paper.
Teachers and staff handed out hand wipes to clean off the paint.
The fourth- through eighth-graders had their turn Wednesday. That was also the day preschoolers used their blue-painted hands to form the stars portion of the flag.
The flag, complete with the words “God Bless America,” will be displayed Friday outside the school, which is a ministry of the Fairfield Church of Christ at 2200 Fairfield Ave.
More than 100 handprints are on the flag.
The project was chosen so all students could be part of making the flag, said Michelle Bounds, the school’s administrator.
Noah Wong, a second-grader, took the task in stride, although he admitted he wasn’t quite sure why they were doing the project.
“It didn’t tickle at all,” he said of getting his hand painted.
Leanna Balinado, a third-grader, said it tickled to get her hand painted. She knew why the flag was being made.
“It’s for 9/11,” she said. “That’s when the airplanes crashed.”
The project provided a teaching moment that included even the youngest of the participating students.
“Look, we just made it perfect,” instructor Karen Gibb said as one of her students made the final handprint.
School staff and students will wear red, white and blue Friday. A special chapel service is also planned for the students.
The flag should remain on display until Monday. If the elements take their toll on it, Wallacker said she wants to do another on canvas.
Doing the project brought back many memories for her. She was at home, listening to the radio, the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. She turned on the TV to see the devastation.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get over 9/11,” she said. “I don’t think we should ever forget it.”
Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net.
Short URL: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/?p=84759
Posted by Amy Maginnis-Honey
on Sep 8 2011.
Filed under Fairfield, Featured Stories, Sept. 11 - 10 years later. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
