CHAPEL HILL - Fourth-grade students at Ephesus Elementary School are celebrating the 100th day of class in a special way today when they dedicate their own "100" mosaic totem sculpture on the school grounds.

The three classes of fourth-grade students and a special needs class worked with artist-in-residence Jeannette Brossart, who was commissioned by the Town of Chapel Hill Public Arts Office for its 2008 Artists@Work Program.

Brossart chose to make a "100" mosaic totem with the students to acknowledge the importance of the 100th day of school, as well as to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system. The final art piece is a vertically stacked mosaic sculpture of the numbers one, zero and zero to form the number 100.

"The understanding of 100 is an important achievement for elementary students," Brossart said. "This sculpture is an important, identifiable, heartwarming and permanent expression of this fundamental concept, while also marking a significant anniversary date of the school system for the community."

The students' art teacher, Nara Strickland, worked with Brossart as the students created the sculpture last fall. The three lessons taught in each of the classes went beyond encouraging artistic creativity to involving skills such as math and teamwork.

"In the first lesson, each child made his or her own seven-inch scale model of the seven-foot totem," she said. "The second lesson called for them to work in small groups to create a mosaic pattern using 100 pieces of reused glass, marble, ceramics, metals and pebbles."

Brossart said this was one of the most interesting lessons, as she watched the groups delegate, compromise and cooperate in a span of 45 minutes to develop their own unique mosaics.

During the third and final lesson, the students attached their mosaics to the "100" totem, which Brossart had previously constructed. In their final lesson, the students also learned the process of constructing the totem, similar to that of paper mache but using cement, mesh and foam materials more suitable for a permanent, outdoor sculpture.

"The kids really did a great job," Brossart said, "The idea of the tie in with 100 days and the centennial really resonated with me from the start, and I think it was such a broad-reaching experience for the children --from the creativity, to seeing how math and art can connect, to working together. And they really created something beautiful in the process."

The unveiling and dedication of the 100 mosaic totem sculpture today is open to the students' families and will be followed by a reception in the school atrium. Ephesus Elementary School is located at 1495 Ephesus Church Road.