5th grade Legacy Project 2018

 

The fifth grade legacy project began as a class quilt 18 years ago, but in the past three years the fifth grade has been leaving their mark by creating a unique legacy project. The legacy project is something the graduating class leaves behind for the school that they think will inspire or help students in the future.

In the past fifth graders have been expanding on the legacy project so they can leave a greater legacy behind. In 2015-2016 the fifth graders were inspired by savant sculptor Alonzo Clemons and decided to raise money to buy a sculpture of a mountain lion for the school. The fifth graders of 2016-2017 also did a piece of art for their legacy project and created a wooden sign shaped like a book with the help of artist David Monhollen.

This years legacy project from the fifth graders of 2017-2018 are pollinator boxes that stand in front of the school. We had other ideas for the legacy project but decided on this one because it is helping the environment recover from human impacts. The pollinator boxes support local pollinators such as bees by providing homes for them. We incorporated art into this project by painting the boxes with animal-friendly paint.  The fifth graders also planted flowers and other plants around the pollinators boxes. Some of the boxes come apart so in colder months when the bees larvae has hatched students can study the larvae and learn about the life cycles of certain species. Through the help of parent volunteers, teachers, and students who donated time, money, and materials, the fifth grade had created something that will inspire students to learn more in future years at Lyons Elementary.

 

The legacy projects are funded by donated money from PTO, and fifth graders volunteering at kids night out.  

 

Next year the new fifth graders will be doing a legacy project as well. This legacy is handed down to the new fifth graders at an assembly at the end of the year where the fifth graders explain to the fourth graders what the legacy project is, what we did for our legacy project, and how the process of creating it works.

The legacy project at Lyons Elementary is important because it teaches responsibility and leadership to the fifth graders. It is also important because it gives the fifth graders a chance to leave something behind for the school as they move on to a new adventure in middle school.   

      

 Written by Sasha Bruckner and Katie Brownsberger