EAST KINGSTON — The spring semester is forecasting sunny filled days for the students at East Kingston Elementary School (EKES).
EAST KINGSTON — The spring semester is forecasting sunny filled days for the students at East Kingston Elementary School (EKES).
In concert with the completion of the school’s solar panel project, students are working with artist Emile Birch to create a sun sculpture.
The 200 students and 50 staff members of the school will create their own Penrose tiles depicting their version of a sun. All the tiles will come together to form a bigger sun structure.
As the school’s Artist-in-Residence Birch, who belongs to the New Hampshire State Council of Arts’ program, described the technique created by mathematician Roger Penrose, in which patterns are created out of parallelograms.
Birch kicked off his visit with the students by showing the school on March 14, a slide show of his previous work which includes: structures such as “Vigilance,” the tribute sculpture to firefighters located in front of the Portsmouth fire station; “Founders Gate,” in Exeter; and “The Eternal Shield,” a sculpture commissioned by N.H. Law Enforcement Officers Committee located at the Statehouse in Concord.
Though the stormy weather has not been cooperative, East Kingston Elementary School’s installations of the solar panels are almost complete, according to East Kingston School Board Chairman Robert Nigrello, who applied for the grant that made the installation possible and who is described by Principal Jim Eaves as “the catalyst of the project.”
Revolution Energy will be finishing the installation within the next week, and have already begun visiting each class to teach them about the panels and sustainability.
The principal said this “is an exciting learning opportunity for the children” and they “need to live a sustainable lifestyle to prepare for the 21st Century.”
Nigrello said the goal is to preserve 50 percent of energy but it “depends on how many sunshine days we get,” and the solar education is meant “to sensitize students to environmental issues.”
Students will also be involved in the process by monitoring the energy brought in through the solar panels.
Birch also visited each class during their art period this week to teach the Grade K to 5 students how to make their own Penrose tile out of clay.
Birch said the installation of the solar panels is “a great idea,” and when he moved to N.H. he built his house to include a greenhouse heated by the sun.
Birch explained to students that this structure is clay which is made of “earth and water.”
After weeks of studying the sun, first-graders (the first group of students to make tiles) were prepared to design tiles with their own creativity.
Anabel Crowley started her sun with the idea to make it with a “puppy face” but soon decided her sun looked more like “a lion sun.” Her classmates Jaidyn Rancourt and Jaclyn Jacques also designed their suns to have animal faces. Jaclyn said, “mine’s a kitty with glasses, because that’s how I usually (draw) suns.”
Second-grade teacher, Sarah Oppenheimer said her students are excited to make their own panels as she is. Oppenheimer said Birch will be helping the staff create their tiles in after school, or if staff can’t make the class, they can do it on their own.
Creating the sculpture is just the beginning of the festivities, since the school has scheduled its Solar Fest day on June 10. The school will unveil their sculpture as well as have a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which they invited the governor to attend.
Principal Eaves describes the event as a “solar field day” which will include activities for the students outside.
Birch told the students when they’re in high school they should come back to visit because “this sculpture will be here for a very, very long time.”