CHELSEA – Chelsea Park Elementary School students designed T-shirts, planted a garden and held a special celebration on Tuesday, May 21, to mark Alabama’s Bicentennial.

Several guests of honor, including city and Shelby County Schools officials, attended the celebration, which was held in the garden that was created by students with money from a grant through the 200 Alabama Bicentennial program.

During the celebration, students explained the special activities they completed in recognition of the Bicentennial.

Addison Colon said the school’s gifted third graders learned about Alabama’s flora and fauna.

“Our posters and reports are on display in the hallway,” Colon said. “It was inspiring to learn about the diversity of plants and animals in the great state of Alabama.”

Fourth grade gifted students planted herbs in the Bicentennial garden, then harvested, dried and packaged them to sell at the market, with proceeds benefitting Heavenly Smile, a food pantry organization that serves the area.

“Our task was to design a T-shirt which symbolizes something we thought represented Alabama,” said fifth grade gifted student Thomas McBride. “The T-shirts were then displayed in the hall so others could view our interpretation of the Alabama we liked.”

Other projects included the creation of benches that accommodated the guests at the celebration event and making salsa with cilantro grown in the garden.

“Community partners” recognized at the event included the ALFA Young Farmers Association, Master Gardener Denise Vinsant, Eagle Scout Zach Beneke and his family, the Dodd family and The Grass Guys, Paula Davis and family, Kit Killingsworth and Girl Scout Troop 30931, Mrs. Trantham and family, Kerrie Johnson and the Chelsea Historical Society, the Websters from Station 31 restaurant, the Visser family and Bullet Coffee Co., and Ashley Kent and Kent Cakes.

To conclude the celebration, a birthday cake was unveiled, and students sang the state song.

Guests were treated to cake and coffee while students returned to their classrooms for cupcakes.