"I was

thrilled to be able to get all of the children involved in a major project

after Sept. 11. The children enjoyed doing it and the project helped them

Michael Howell.

Making the

rock flag was no simple task. The rocks had to be cleaned and dried before

painting could commence. Before the rocks could be placed in formation,

the outdoor bed had to be dug, plastic lining installed and sand poured

in and racked.

Many parents

and friends of Spring Hill helped to make the rock flag a reality. Virginia

Bittinger, a parent, originally brought the idea to the school. Other

parents helped with painting rocks and preparing the bed the flag occupies.

Baughman's

husband, Scott, built and installed a white frame around the bed to hold

the rocks securely in place. Chris Dixon and Associates donated the hundreds

of rocks that were needed to make the flag.

"The children

had a great time with this project. As we worked on it, we had a chance

to talk about patriotism and how people have expressed themselves after

wars," Perez said.

Now that the

flag is complete, students and the school's staff are hoping that someone

from the community will volunteer to take some aerial photos so that they

can see what their creation looks like from the sky.