Third-graders Claudia Giallella (left) and Nadia Rodemeyer work on their self-portraits for the community art mosaic. (Courtesy of Immaculate Conception School)

EAST AURORA — When patients, family members, and visitors walk into the future John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, they will be greeted by 10,000 smiles. These smiles will be in the hospital's community art mosaic.

Students at Immaculate Conception School have been invited to participate by drawing pictures of themselves. These pictures will be included in the mosaic. There will also be a fundraising component of this special honor.

Scott Kapperman, principal of Immaculate Conception School, expressed excitement about the project.

"Our students serve the community in many different ways," Kapperman said. "They donate money from dress-down days to the Response to Love Center and other community causes. They collect food for the hungry, and every year they prepare a dinner for clients of the Response to Love Center."

"This is a different type of service. Our students' pictures will be part of this permanent community mosaic at the future Oishei Children's Hospital. When patients walk into the hospital, they can look at the mosaic and know that our students, and all of the other children in the mosaic, are sharing their smiles and their best wishes with them. That's a wonderful and very special type of community service," Kapperman concluded.