The Harrison County Courthouse displays a poppy flower board that was created by Harrison Hills North Elementary School students in honor of veterans. T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM

CADIZ — Art class students at Harrison Hills North Elementary created a poppy flower board, made of some recyclable materials they collected, in honor of veterans.

Harrison Hills elementary art teacher LeAnn Vancamp, who planned the project, said the mission was to create a field of poppies to show the students’ gratitude to the nation’s military veterans. The poppy flower is a symbol of Memorial Day and commemorates soldiers who have perished during war. The intricate poppy board is located on the lawn of the Harrison County Courthouse in Cadiz for the public to view.

Vancamp and elementary students, grades kindergarten through sixth grade, collected plastic bottle caps and other materials in order to design and create the art piece. Students had been collecting the caps since the beginning of the school year. Harrison North Parent Teacher Organization purchased the paint, plywood and wood screws to help the art students develop the project.

Once the plywood had been primed, two fifth-graders students drew the large poppy design. Afterward, students painted the poppies and added green to the background. Students were then instructed on power tool safety and the importance of wearing eye protection before using the tools to put the board together. Vancamp said the students really enjoyed using the power tools to show their dedication to veterans.

The project took elementary students about six weeks to complete. The poppy board includes roughly 1,400 bottle caps and screws.

“Thank you to our county commissioners for giving my art students the privilege to display their hard work on the courthouse lawn for the community to enjoy, and to let our veterans know we appreciate everything they have done and sacrificed for our country,” Vancamp said.