SUQUAMISH — There are more than 500 fish swimming in cement in front of Suquamish Elementary School.

The school completed a river rock project in front of the school on March 8. Each rock was painted by students, staff, parents and other guests.

The most enjoyable aspect of the project for Suquamish Elementary teacher Misty Hernandez was seeing the students work together. Hernandez and her fourth-grade class led the project after reading “Only One You,” by Linda Kranz.

“It was such a neat thing to see my fourth-grade students working with kindergartners all the way up to fifth-graders,” Hernandez wrote to the Herald.

The river rocks were painted with the artist’s rendition of fish, an idea stemming from photography in the book.

The garden bed in front of the school was cleared out with the help of families, a Boy Scout troop, and Moore’s Works Landscaping and Excavation. Moore’s placed donated crushed gravel into the path’s trench.

On March 8, Hard Rock Inc. came in to pour the donated concrete, allowing the placement of the rocks.

Hernandez’s class got the school community excited about the project by reading “Only One You” and presenting the plans.

“Every student played an important role in this,” she said.

The idea of the project was to strengthen the community’s ties.

“Our river reminds us that we are a school of friends,” Hernandez wrote.

“The last lines in the book read: ‘There is only one you in this great big world. Make it a better place.’

“I hope that this project has inspired and/or reminded all of our students, staff and community members to do what they can to make the world a better place.”