NEW SHARON — A bright, colorful banner now hangs in the lobby at Cape Cod Hill School as a reminder of the school’s new vision.

A community project created by Janet Plouffe’s sixth-grade art class, the banner bears the school’s vision and mission, “Expanding the mind, Encouraging the heart and Creating Community,” class member Joey Gregory said.

“We wanted to make the banner so everyone would know what school is about,” class member River Lisius said.

It’s also a gift from the class. After seven years of schooling at the pre-kindergarten-through-grade-six school, they’re thinking about the changes they’ll undertake as they attend Mt.Blue Middle School in Farmington this fall.

After those years together, facing separation next year is like moving to Thailand without your family, classmate Amy He said.

The project began last fall after teachers Peggy Beach and Myrna Robinson attended a leadership class that focused on community and schools last summer. They engaged Plouffe and the school staff in planning a variety of activities that continue through to next fall. The activities include songs, daily messages, bulletin boards and assemblies based on the school vision and mission.

Plouffe said she wanted the students to be involved in making the banner that took about three months of work, art classes and some recess time.

During an April Earth Day assembly, the banner was unveiled to the whole school while dream flags with poems expressing hopes for the future written on them were hung from the pillars at the entrance to the school, Robinson said. The poems were written by fourth-through-sixth-grade students.

After last year’s sixth-graders painted a mural, the class also wanted to do a big project, leaving something for younger students, Courtney Grundy. They came up with the idea for the banner, Meadow Kiesman said.

Some community members became involved when a banner donated by the Coca Cola plant in Farmington was spray painted, vinyl donated by SignWorks, also of Farmington, was cut into letters, 300 hearts and a school with two children of different races entering representing a safe, accepting environment for all who enter.

“No matter who you are, you should live that motto (Expanding the mind, Encouraging the heart and Creating Community), Kaela Gustin said of the what the class called “words of wisdom for everyday.”

The school colors of blue and gold were highlighted, Tommy Eng said of the graffiti-themed banner.

It was a big project that tested their ability to work together in a small group and their patience when the vinyl hearts wouldn’t stick. It also cemented their class relationship, one that will change next year as they move on to a larger school 10 miles away and mix with other seventh-graders from across the school district.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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