West Hempstead shares signs of unity with Rainbow Rocks

With schools not expected to re-open until at least May 15 in New York state because of the coronavirus pandemic, students and teachers in the West Hempstead School District have found new ways to promote unity amid the closures.

West Hempstead’s students and teachers kicked off a Rainbow Rocks initiative, in which participants paint colorful rocks with encouraging messages on them as a sign of unity. “We wanted to visually show our togetherness in a way that was approachable and fun for all ages,” said art teacher Cassie Ross in a news release.

Many of the students have already completed their own colorful rocks. The completed rocks were arranged in a slideshow on YouTube and shared with the community.

District officials said that when school buildings re-open, the painted rocks will be put together as a colorful rock garden.

Courtesy West Hempstead School District; compiled by Nakeem Grant