Staff and students at Chippewa Elementary School recently dedicated a mosaic art piece that is permanently installed outside the front entrance.
The multi-colored piece is comprised of hundreds of colored tiles, each one created by a student under the direction of an artist-in-residence, Esther Tollen, and art teacher, Katrina Rocha.
Sachem superintendent James Nolan attended the ceremony, hosted by Chippewa principal Patricia Aubrey, on October 30.
The project was sponsored by the Chippewa PTA, which paid for the artist-in-residence to visit the school for a week to teach students the program: Artistry of the Mosaic Tile.
The mosaic includes the image of a tree, complete with branches and roots, with the word “Chippewa” at the top and the phrase “Future Leaders Learn and Grow Here” adorning the bottom.
The image represents a tree in the book “7 Habits for Happy Kids” by Sean Covey.
“The ‘7 Habits’ have been an important part of the Sachem curriculum for several years,” said Aubrey. “By teaching kids about the habits, we are helping students build a foundation of leadership skills that will help them achieve great things. Congratulations to each child who contributed to this beautiful mosaic. They will always have a permanent connection now to Chippewa, no matter how far they go in the world. I want to thank everyone who helped make this such a successful endeavor.”