There will probably be more fish tales spawned at Francis Patton School this month than anywhere else on the Island. As classrooms around Bermuda turn their attention to tourism, students at the Hamilton Parish school will be learning all they possibly can about our ocean, the fish in it, and the role each of them play in attracting visitors to our Island. "We will talk with them about how tourists come to Bermuda to scuba dive and we'll also look at things like coral reefs and how people come to fish here,'' explained Quinnelle Simons, primary one teacher and head of the school's Infant Department. "Fish are something we touch on anyway in our `Write to Read' programme. In fact the word `fish' is one of our cycle words, so we go into the subject in great depth. And because we want them to know about their own country, we pull out those things that pertain to Bermuda.'' Throughout the month of February, explained Mrs. Simons, the classrooms will be set up as information centres, with each area housing details pertaining either to fish or to the sea. "For example, our reading centre will have a wading pool filled with books about the sea and they will be writing fish stories. It could be something such as a shark story, or they could imagine that they were a fish and describe what they do, how would they breathe and so on. "They will also be pretending to swim like fish, and will learn about underwater explorers. We plan to invite a fisherman to class to speak to them, and in science, they will learn about the different parts of the fish. We will also be taking field trips to the aquarium, the beach, the (Bermuda Biological Station for Research) and to Francis Patton dock, where we will be looking for such Bermuda fish as the Sergeant Major.'' The message will be driven home even in music class, added Mrs. Simons. There, common tunes such as `Here we go 'round the mulberry bush' and `My Bonnie lies over the ocean' will be adapted to make fish the focus in hopes of getting the message across -- especially to the younger students in the school. The teacher added that by the end of the month, it was hoped that each student would know a little bit more about the ocean and its role in the tourism industry. "They will also be learning about cooking with fish,'' she added. "Things such as tuna salad, fish chowder and traditional Bermuda codfish cakes. Hopefully, with a little help from our Parent-Teachers' Association (PTA), we will be able to construct a cookbook at the end with as many fish recipes donated by parents as possible,'' said Mrs. Simons. PHOTO Five-year-old Francis Patton student Kimberley Murray shows off her handmade fish crafted as part of the school's look at the ocean environment. MARINE ENTHUSIASTS -- Students at Francis Patton School are learning about the ocean and how it and its contents serve to lure tourists to the Island. The marine study is being incorporated into every aspect of their learning from English to music in hopes of driving the point home. Shown, teachers Quinnelle Simons and Clare Curtis check the waters below the dock for local fish EDUCATION MONTH ED