Grants in Action: If You Build It, the Fairies Will Come
What’s more magical than a fairy house? Fourteen of them, made by kids who couldn’t stop grinning.
Every fairy needs somewhere to live. At Suquamish Elementary, a group of very dedicated artists made sure of it.
This year, the after-school Art Club took on the delightful challenge of building fairy houses, tiny, whimsical cottages dreamed up and constructed by kids in grades three through five. It was exactly the kind of gloriously fun, slightly messy, deeply imaginative project that makes a kid count down the hours until the final bell.
None of it would have happened without a North Kitsap Schools Foundation grant, which gave art teacher Reanna Rapada the supplies to run it all. She was awarded even more than she asked for, enough to let students explore art in ways they’d never tried before, with tools and materials well beyond the usual crayons-and-paper routine.
And these weren’t just any projects. The club was a chance for kids to experience art differently, to experiment, to make a mess, and to discover a creative side they didn’t know they had. For 14 young artists, Art Club became the best part of the week.
But the moment that stole the show wasn’t a craft at all.
One of Reanna’s fifth graders was so grateful just to be there, thrilled to stretch her skills beyond the regular art class. During the fairy house project, something lovely happened: she started helping the younger kids. A fifth grader quietly stepped into the role of mentor for a third grader, guiding, encouraging, showing them how. As Reanna put it, it warmed her heart to watch a student become a leader outside the classroom.
That’s the thing about a good art project. You think you’re making a fairy house, but you’re actually building patience, confidence, and the kind of kindness that makes a younger kid feel welcome. The glitter washes off. That stuff sticks around.
And that’s the heart of it. A grant meant for art supplies gave students room to create, lead, and find out who they are when you give them the resources and set them loose. A fifth grader knelt to help a third grader build something magical, and both walked away a little taller. That is what support looks like up close.
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