After months of raising Chinook salmon inside their classroom, Blue Star Elementary fourth grade students officially released their fish into Bear Creek on May 6 as part of the school’s annual Salmon in the Classroom program.
The experience began back in November when students received approximately 150 Chinook salmon eggs. Throughout the school year, students helped monitor and care for the fish while learning about conservation, ecosystems, water quality, responsibility, and the incredible lifecycle of salmon.
During release day at Bear Creek, students carefully placed the salmon into the water and watched as they began the next stage of their long journey toward Lake Michigan.
“It's hard to believe how far they're going to swim,” one student shared while reflecting on the experience with 4th grade teacher, Mr. Szczerowski.
Students also discussed some of their favorite memories from the program, including feeding the fish, watching them rapidly grow from tiny eggs into young salmon, and spending time outdoors with classmates during release day.
Mr. S, who helped lead the experience, said the release day is always one of the highlights of the project.
“We started with 150 Chinook salmon eggs in the middle of November,” he explained while reporting from Bear Creek. “We raised them up until this week and released them here in Bear Creek.”
Along the way, students took on important responsibilities in the classroom, including monitoring water quality and helping maintain the salmon tank as the fish grew larger throughout the year.
For many students, the program created meaningful memories and offered a unique learning opportunity that extended far beyond the classroom walls.
The experience will culminate next week with a salmon fishing charter trip for all 47 fourth grade students. Thanks to the support of the Big Red Foundation, the Big Red Classic board, local charter captains, and numerous community sponsors, students will have the opportunity to head out onto Lake Michigan and experience salmon fishing firsthand.
“It’s tremendous to be part of a community when so many different businesses come together and come alongside teachers,” Mr. S said. “It allows us to do the little extras that make it special for everyone.”
Hamilton Community Schools would like to thank all of the community partners and sponsors who continue to make the Salmon in the Classroom program possible for Blue Star students each year.
