Bates is a well-respected artist with a distinctive style who paints the light, water, trees, wildlife, and the people of the lakes of Arkansas and East Texas with warmth and humor. During the previous month, Grassy Lake and Night Heron , two artworks by Bates, were displayed and discussed in various classrooms.
Students read and wrote about a variety of topics that related to the works.
Art students spent many hours building papier mache animals and swamp creatures to recreate the painting, Grassy Lake . Both the school band and choir learned and practiced music with a Cajun flair. The program was planned as a joint presentation connected by a narrative delivered by two student actors. All the students' and teachers' work came together in an collaborative, school wide assembly during the last period of the day on November 25. Outside the auditorium a swamp was set up with all the inhabitants and features created by students.