The young ones at Parkview Pre-Primary School recently joined hands to put together a thought-provoking art installation.
The collaboration included teachers and parents and the project illustrates the devastating impact that plastic waste has on our environment.
The art piece, installed on the school’s boundary wall on Wicklow Avenue, highlights this year’s World Environment Day theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. The children collected plastic bottles from home and used them to create a large fish, with plastic cutlery for teeth, eating the world.
Each child got a chance to stick a piece of plastic onto the installation, and to help to create the paper mâché globe.
“We wanted our children to have a better understanding of how plastic is polluting our oceans,” said one of the parents, Aimee Girdwood, who heads up ‘The world around us’ committee at Parkview Pre-Primary.
“We encourage our children and parents to say no to plastic straws, to recycle and to reduce the amount of plastic waste at home. The children are all very excited about the art project and love reminding their siblings and parents to ‘beat plastic pollution,” said Girdwood.
The art installation is set to remain on the wall for the month of June and residents are urged to visit the school to take note as they drive past and to think more about how what can be done to beat plastic pollution.
The Parkview Pre-Primary School believe that a child learns best through playing. The flexible, play-based and child-centered programme offers a varied yet integrated blend of physical, cognitive, emotional, social and creative areas for the total development of the child.
Girdwood added, “Young children learn by acting and experiencing. The aim is to provide an environment that encourages curiosity, exploration and problem solving, thereby allowing for individual growth and the development of a positive self-image.”
The school tries to strike a balance between teacher-assisted activities and free play.
The Parkview Pre-Primary committee aims to help children explore and better understand the world in which we live.
Are you inspired by the little ones? Send your opinion to koketsor@caxton.co.za
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