Art exchange focuses on 'world community'
Shrewsbury - Floral Street School art teacher Robert Wilson and (back, l to r) fourth-graders Luke Xu, Cherise Connolly, Allison Ross, Alexander Dejeu, (front) Harrison Luo and Madeline Konz hold some of the approximately 50 pieces of artwork that are part of the school's Art Exchange program. The students at Floral Street School created backgrounds of a picture and, on the back, wrote a note to students in China who will receive them.

PHOTO/MARY PRITCHARD

After the note is translated into Chinese, the art will be sent to the Binhai Elementary School in Binhai, China, where students will complete the piece by painting something onto the background, write a note back and return it to Floral Street School.

Wilson credited parents for being a driving force in the project, as Floral Street families celebrate the diversity of their school community.

"The art exchange puts students in direct contact with students across the world and helps them to communicate and be a part of their world community," he said.