The walls of Eagle Hill Middle School were transformed over summer break thanks to 7 dedicated F-M High School students. Hari Yoganathan, Nandhini Karthikeyan, Madeline Davidson, Sam Colvin, Angie Li, Luna Lee, and Kristen Evans worked together, volunteering their creativity and time, to finish 3 murals in the school.
“Eagle Hill was the only school without murals and we decided it was time to change that,” shared Academic Enrichment Program Teacher Bridget Wojnovich. “We gave the students a simple prompt, bring nature indoors. The students collaborated and used their critical thinking skills to bring their ideas to life.”
The students worked together over 8 days with guidance from Wojnovich and FMHS Art Department and Instructional Specialist Katie Gabriel to make the murals a reality. They can be seen at the bottom of the north and south ramps as well as in a hallway. These are all busy areas of the building, ensuring students and staff can enjoy the artwork on a daily basis.
“Nature murals improve mental health by increasing calm and reducing stress. They beautify the building and encourage dialogue in the school community. Additionally, bringing the outdoors in promotes environmental awareness and conservation, which is part of our science curriculum,” shared Wojnovich.
All that hard work paid off, the murals are already making a big impact in the building.
“This project has created a personalized learning experience that has enhanced our school environment beyond our wildest dreams. There was a palpable sense of community and excitement throughout the building. Both students and staff have developed a genuine sense of pride and ownership in their school environment,” shared Eagle Hill Principal Karen Liparulo.
It was also a meaningful opportunity for the artists, whose art will now inspire upcoming Hornets for years to come. The project was so successful, it will likely lead to more in the future.
“These kinds of cross-school collaborations are so important to me and represent exactly what we hope to achieve in our district,” shared Liparulo. “Our plan is for Eagle Hill students to join the high school students in ongoing collaborative projects like this. It’s my hope that we continue to build upon these partnerships, connections, and collaborative efforts across our amazing school district. This is what Hornet Pride is all about.”
