Students show off their artwork

Students in Mrs. Ashley King’s 6th grade ELA class at Waycross Middle read Alan Gratz’s riveting novel, Refugee, which follows the stories of three refugees from three different eras. After reading, students were tasked with creating a painting that embodied a theme, symbol, emotion, or scene from the novel. To help with this task, local artist Roland Thurston spoke with the students about art and proper techniques to use when painting.

Students planned an Art with Heart Auction for Refugees, which took place on November 29th at 5:30 pm in the Waycross Middle School Media Center.  Each piece of student art was available for purchase via silent auction, with all proceeds going to the students’ charity of choice, the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps refugees build a brighter future. David Hitt is the principal of Waycross Middle.