Six kindergartners listened intently as fifth-grader Isabel Slavinsky explained the ins and outs of taking care of Atholton Elementary School's trout.

"There are about 60 to 70 trout and they are in the fry stage of their life," she informed the younger students as they watched the tiny fish swim around in a tank situated in the school's hallway.

Slavinsky and other fifth-graders in Lisa Young's Gifted and Talented instructional seminar "Trout Keepers" have been raising the trout since January, when they were delivered to the school as fertilized eggs. The participants take turns teaching other students about how to properly care for the trout each morning, lunch and afternoon.

During this particular trout-keeping session, the kindergartners took turns adding a pinch of food to the tank.

"The food is stinky to me," fifth-grader James Wang said.

After taking his turn feeding the fish and a quick sniff of his fingers, kindergartner Donavan Townsend wasn't concerned about the odoriferous food. "They smell good," he said of his hands.

"The fish are happy; they've gotten their lunch," Isabel added.

The program was facilitated by Trout in the Classroom, an organization that seeks to create a hands-on experience with the environment by providing schools with fertilized Kamloops rainbow trout eggs and the training necessary to foster their growth.

The trout project is part of a broader effort by the school to receive Green School certification from the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, a program that aims to educate children on environmental issues and promote stewardship of the land, according to the association's Web site.

To further the effort, fifth-grader Joshua Lee created informational booklets he dubbed "Trout Watching for Students" that outline the steps necessary to properly feed the trout, check the water for chemical levels and other pertinent tasks.

The trout are slated to be released on May 29 in the Middle Patuxent River in the Kings Contrivance area of Columbia.

Young said the location for the trout's release is important because it is the students' community and helps them to understand how their actions can directly affect the wildlife around them.

Young added that Isabel was instrumental in receiving the grant to finance the project from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Isabel approached Young about raising trout as a classroom project and helped write the grant, Young said.

"I think it's been a success," Young said. "I'm glad Isabel had the passion for it."

Other "green school" projects Atholton Elementary's students are working on include creating oyster reef balls, artificial reefs made of concrete that serve as a protective habitat for oysters whose organic habitats have been damaged or destroyed by pollutants, and growing and planting bay grasses. The students also are building a "Native Habitat Garden" that will be situated in front of the school and will include plants like black-eyed Susans and swamp milkweed that serve as a habitat for native animals and bugs.

Young says she will be submitting the school's final application for Green School certification in early April.

* Glenelg High School's student-led Dream Team will host an International Performance on Tuesday, March 31 at 10 a.m. The performance will include dance routines from Indian, Russian, Latin and Irish cultures, recitation of poems reflecting black and Native American culture, and more. The school is at 14025 Burntwoods Road, in Glenelg. Call 410-313-5535 for more information.

* The PTAs from Patapsco Middle School and Mt. Hebron High School are holding a spring mulch sale. Orders are due by April 3 and mulch can be picked up at Patapsco Middle on April 18. To place an order, volunteer or get more information, go to www.mulchsale.net or call Rhonda Canham at 410-480-2472.

* Stagelight Productions, the nonprofit arm of the newly launched Spectrum Christian Homeschool Community, will stage its first annual spring production, Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." More than 25 Howard County home-schooled children from grades 3 to 12 will take part in the production scheduled for April 3, 4 and 5, at 7 p.m., with an additional performance April 4 at 2 p.m., at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane, in Columbia. Call 443-326-9152 for more information.

* Cedar Lane School is holding its 12th consecutive Walk For Our Stars event April 25 at 10 a.m. to raise money for specialized equipment for the school, which serves students with severe disabilities. The event will take place at the Maple Lawn Community Center, in Fulton. For more information, call the school at 410-888-8800.

Send school-related items to School Days, Flier/Times, 10750 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044. Fax items to 410-997-4564 or e-mail mroshan@patuxent.com.

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