Patterson Elementary School’s fourth and fifth grade students recently collaborated on the “My Place” patriotic art project sponsored by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America.
Students were visibly moved by the reports of wounded and fallen soldiers from right here in Georgia in the spring of 2024.
Our neighbors. Our friends. Before the U.S. Department of Defense released an official statement on the morning of January 29, Patterson Elementary students began hearing the whispers of family and friends as they began seeing sad posts on social media. Our lives were touched when we saw their faces on television, but we were extremely moved when we discovered how near to us these fallen soldiers had lived and served. Specialist Kennedy Sanders was from the next town over, Waycross.
The “My Place' project centered around the three fallen soldiers that lost their lives in the wee morning hours of January 28, while serving our country in Jordan. Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffet are in the center of our display. Students used pencils, sharpies, oil pastels, and watercolors to draw soldiers in their Army Combat Uniforms to match the likenesses of the three fallen soldiers. To the left of the soldiers' pictures is a small map of Georgia marking where each soldier is from as well as the location of Fort Moore, the Army base to which the soldiers were assigned.
Students also used pencils, colored pencils, sharpies, and oil pastels to draw 3-D waving U.S. flags.
Chalk pastels and star stencils were used on black construction paper to design a bit of negative space patriotic art. Students learned the significance of poppies and poppy fields and how they relate to remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. This led to students using watercolors to paint beautiful poppy fields with flags, crosses, and glorious sunsets. Furthermore, students used tissue paper to depict single poppies on papers that are inscribed with the words, 'Lest We Forget.'
The U.S. Map painted to resemble the U.S. Flag is a special piece of artwork painted by a former student.
To the left is a world map with the location of the country of Jordan marked in relation to the location of the United States of America. To the right is a giant map of the state of Georgia provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation, with the hometowns of each of the fallen soldiers marked as well as our hometown, Patterson.
Fourth and fifth grade students loved working on this meaningful patriotic display, and they learned a tremendous amount about how their actions can contribute to their community, their state, their country, and their world. It is our hope that this display of artwork will provide comfort and peace to the families of the three fallen soldiers, who we consider to be our neighbors and our friends.
Patterson Elementary Students won third place and a check for $200 for the school's art department for their My Place Art Project sponsored by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America. The check was awarded to PES Art Teacher Julie Griner by Colonial Dames member Martha Fey.
