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Something new has sprouted and grown in the old planter at the atrium of Rockcliffe Middle School.

After years of trying unsuccessfully to grow real plants in the low-light conditions of the front lobby, the Rockcliffe Boulevard school decided to think outside the box into the realm of environmental art for a solution.

The end result was a 12-foot tree with 30 branches of varying length, depth and height made entirely of recycled cardboard attached to a steel pole.

"We made a tree from a tree," said Lois Dellert, an environmental artist with a background in forestry who was recruited by the the local non-profit arts organization, Arts for Children of Toronto, to work with the Grade 6, 7 and 8 students. Over the course of three months, the kids followed instructions carefully and got to showcase their own artistic talents. "The tough part for the kids was to really think abstractly," said Dellert, noting her primary goal was to give the kids a chance to create something permanent of their own. "They were really mature and they stuck with it."

At the base of the tree were 60 tiles, each uniquely designed by students, to express what their school means to them.

"I put in a flag to represent how there's more than one culture in the school," said Bryan Labeque, 13.

The Grade 8 student was happy with the final product looking up at the art tree labelled White Pine, inspired by the Group of Seven Canadian artists who specialized in landscape paintings.

"It was worth the effort," he said.

Marilyn Lazaro, 13, also had a lot of fun especially working on something that she's never tried before.

"It was a new experience," said Marilyn, agreeing with Bryan that she was most happy about "what it looked like in the end and what we accomplished."

Principal Kevin Battaglia was impressed with it all.

"It looks fantastic today," said Battaglia at the official unveiling last Friday, adding how important it is for students to be exposed to new experiences. "Kids need to be connected to what their talents are."