05/26/2026
RFIS Students Celebrate Culmination of Trout in the Classroom Program with Release into Raritan River
Under the supervision of Hunterdon County park rangers, approximately a dozen students, along with their parents and teacher Lisa Coster, released more than 70, 3–5 inch rainbow trout into the South Branch of the Raritan River South Branch at Sunnyside Park. The release marked the culminating activity of the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program, an interdisciplinary, science-based conservation education initiative.
The program was supported by a grant from Sustainable Jersey and engaged 6th-graders from Reading-Fleming Intermediate School. Over the past seven months, students observed the development of approximately 250 rainbow trout hatched from the Pequest Trout Hatchery, while studying the importance of cold, clean water for aquatic ecosystems and human communities.
Throughout the program, students participated in a range of cross-curricular activities spanning science, mathematics, language arts, technology, art, music, and reading. Activities included conducting water chemistry tests, maintaining tank conditions, studying ecosystems and runoff, and corresponding with peer classrooms across the country through pen pal exchanges.
One trout, affectionately named “Pikachu” for its smaller size and distinctive tail shape, became a student favorite. Through pen pal correspondence, students also learned about another classroom fish known as “W,” noted for its unusual body shape, prompting discussions and hypotheses about environmental and developmental variation among fish.
Mrs. Coster emphasized the program’s educational impact, stating: “Our hope is that by caring for and learning from the trout, our students will gain yet another hands-on learning experience to make them better environmentally conscious stewards.”
Student artwork also played a prominent role in the program. Student Inde Yan Jr. contributed original illustrations depicting the trout and classroom experiences. Yan, who immigrated from the Philippines in 2024, shared that art has long been central to his life and learning journey. His work was later enlarged into posters and displayed at both the school’s Earth Day celebration and the Raritan Township Green Fair earlier this spring.
The TIC program experience has inspired plans for continued student engagement, including the development of a digital book compiling selected pen pal correspondence and student artwork as a commemorative record of the inaugural program. The Trout in the Classroom initiative is expected to continue next school year.
