We need to be inspired when we walk around our school! I teach art to all students in K-5 at an elementary school where there are no walls to separate classrooms. Fortunately the art room has walls.
Our school does have some beautiful open and shared space, but because our school has no walls to separate classes, a number of approaches have been taken to ensure some individual class space. Currently there are partitions, like you would see at an office. Imagine the "cubical" layout, only on a bigger cubical scale. While this is a vast improvement on what was there before, it creates a visual eyesore. Our school has two floors and 320+ students. That translates to a lot of partition gray cloth walls. Student work is covering some of those walls, but certainly not all. Even when the great work by students is hung on the gray cloth walls, it still looks office-like. We need to get rid of that look and feeling. We need to start covering that gray space!
My students need some canvas, acrylic paint and good brushes so that they can create murals that will enhance the look of their indoor school space. My students get so excited about what they create in class- they can be quite proud of themselves at times. Imagine the pride they would have by seeing a semi-permanent piece of art which they helped to create, hanging in their school. This would not be a small work of art. Their mural would be at least 5'x 6'. I would like to start by creating about 9 murals and placing them strategically around the school.
Not only would the students benefit from the murals- staff would be thrilled to see their school getting brighter and be proud of students who helped make it so. Visitors would instantly get a sense of the warmth and community of our school. We have a very diverse student population which creates it's own set of unique issues, but it mainly creates a wonderful, family-like environment.
You will be giving my students a wonderful opportunity they might not otherwise have if you fund this mural project. Not only will this generation of students appreciate their school and their peers more with these murals, future students will be inspired and want to contribute visually to their school as well. I envision a meaningful, thoughtful and colorful world inside our school. Thank you so much for your consideration of this gift.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Villani and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
