By Molly Taylor
A REIDY Park Primary School Year 3 class has put a festive twist on several Mount Gambier attractions without ever leaving the school grounds.
Students dressed in costumes and digitally imposed themselves on tourist icons such as the Blue Lake, Cave Gardens and Umpherston Cave, all without physically leaving the classroom.
The project is on display as part of Mount Gambier Marketplace’s Class Christmas Tree Decorating Competition.
After learning about Mount Gambier’s history, students were tasked to identify Mount Gambier’s biggest tourist attractions and then use their digital technology skills to graphically edit images of themselves at various locations.
Images were then added to ornaments and hung on one of several Christmas trees currently displayed at the shopping complex.
Year 3 teacher Belinda Say said given the challenges of 2020, the project aimed to encourage the community to smile and take pride in the area they live.
“It also promotes all the different places which people could go and visit,” she said.
“We then integrated our Digital Technologies skills, taking a picture in the classroom of them either dressed up as an elf or Santa and used some programs to help them look as though they were at the locations.
“We were thinkingly creativity, something new for people to have a look at and hopefully smile about.”
Ms Say said students had fun dressing up and learning about Mount Gambier’s trademarks, noting all background images were taken by herself to prevent copyright issues.
Student Year 3 student Hayden said he enjoyed his involvement and did not realise how many areas people visited when in Mount Gambier.
“I am looking forward to Christmas. It was fun decorating the tree here because I haven’t done it in ages and have only decorated the one we have home,” he said.
Marketplace marketing executive Paula Creasey said the competition was an enjoyable way to involve the education community with the centre.
“Having a visual aspect of Christmas is definitely important, especially now more than ever,” she said.
“We get some beautiful decorations and the schools really get into it.
“I am personally looking forward to seeing what other ideas schools have on offer.”
The winning prize plans to be a Christmas class party with Santa, depending on COVID-19 restrictions.
Public voting will start soon via the Mount Gambier Marketplace Facebook page.
