Kids-eye view of SC Parish on eve of our 200th B-day

Bicentennial artwork created by 16 Allemands Elementary Students.

By Terry Linder

In celebration of St. Charle’s Parish’s 200th Bicentennial birthday, 16 second graders at Allemands Elementary School in Des Allemands created the eye-catching collage you see on this page. From the cypress tree to the egret, from the sugar cane fields to the magnolia, with the Hale Boggs Bridge connecting the east bank and the west bank, the collage tells the story of what makes St. Charles the “Parish of Plenty.”

The colorful painting is so good that the editors of the St. Charles Herald-Guide decided to feature it in the 28-page Bicentennial book you’ll find in this issue of the newspaper.

Creating the collage was no mean feat. First, a 4-foot by 8-foot foam board was primed with gesso and then cut into puzzle pieces. Students then drew and colored a picture using oil pastels.

Starting at the top left corner you’ll find the top of a cypress tree by Ryan Frickey; a boiled crab representing the abundance of seafood by Tre’vas Chambers; the Mississippi River by Lacey Magee; a fish representing numerous outdoor sports by Gabriel LoCoco; Waterford III representing numerous industries located in our parish by Jourdyn Hogan and Christina Jenkins; and sugar cane representing agriculture by Brandon Bergeron.

Starting at the second row, left side: the bottom of a cypress tree by Jermaine Naquin; “Saint Charles Parish” lettering by Antonia Mar; the Hale Boggs Bridge by Joab Frickey; “200 years” lettering by Jourdyn Hogan; and a tug boat representing Allemands’ business partner, Otto Candies, by Shawn Rome.

Starting at the bottom left corner: an egret representing the abundance of wildlife by Christina Jenkins; the state of Louisiana with our parish highlighted by Dante Celestine; people of the parish by Sarah Corely; Destrehan Plantation – a reminder of our history by Matthew Fonseca; and a magnolia by Jada Harrell.

The beaded are recycles colorful Mardi Gras beads symbolizing festivals and the “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler” spirit of our community completed by Dante Celestine, Jourdyn Hogan, Christian Sells and Antonia Mar.

After the drawings and bead work were completed the puzzle was reassembled and glued to another 4-foot by 8-foot foam board. The entire work was then placed into a black frame.

Special thanks to James Herbert, physical education teacher, for making and assembling the frame and to Wendy Bogen, music teacher, for providing constant encouragement.

 

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