School Mural Program: Cheltenham Primary School
School Mural Program Scope: 7m x 4m long mural on external brick wall, customised Hands On Session for full school of 30 students + Design consult with SRC students to hear how I had taken their ideas and feedback to create the design options for them to choose from.
Brief: The mural was to work with the schools Student Representative Council (SRC) to share Cheltenham Primary's student voice and bring some colour and creativity to their school grounds. Students were asked in class time what they wanted to see as a mural for their school and what best represented their school community. By using the students collective ideas around the theme of showcasing what makes Cheltenham Primary special - including of lots of colour, the schools resident Magpie family, the local blue tongue lizard that lives on the school grounds and incorporating the schools values into the design.
The Program: I worked closely with Michael the Leading Teacher for the SRC at Cheltenham Primary School to develop the ideas from students into the design and share their design options with the SRC. I structured the Hands On Workshop (unique opportunity for students to contribute and work alongside me painting the mural) so all 30 SRC students across year levels 1 through to year 6 were able to participate and contribute to the mural.
The finished mural stands out from across the whole school yard, and makes for a great statement piece during school tours as well as the backdrop for every school assembly. Students from the SRC had this to say about my Mural Program:
“This is the coolest thing we have done at SRC! It's awesome seeing our ideas in the design Kyle made and getting to be part of painting the mural too is really fun! ...”
“As the SRC Captain it's been cool seeing the whole school get excited by the Mural and to see it will be here for years and years. We got to help the younger students paint the mural too ...”
The Design:
The design was to share the story of the school through the eyes of the students at Cheltenham Primary. By capturing the local Magpie families and the resident blue tongue lizard and surrounding the design out with gum leaves - the students felt I had captured the schools grounds and added to them with more colour and creativity.
It was important for the school and SRC to also include the schools values in a subtle way that built on the design and helped act as a subtle reminder to students about the values and how to embody them every day. It was important for the school the values weren't over-stated and didn't subtract from the creativity of the design.
The gum leaves symbolise connection to country and welcoming the community together - a perfect backdrop for the schools assemblies.
Michael a leading teacher said about my School Mural Program:
“The kids are so excited about the Program, they can't wait to get home and tell Mum and Dad about how they helped design and paint a mural at school. It really shows Kyle's experience and skill in engaging with students of all ages and generating enthusiasm for the Program. Kyle has been professional, accommodating and so easy to get along with. As a busy teacher, he has made the process seamless and enjoyable ...”
