With a new principal coming to Laning Avenue elementary school, Trish Moore, the head of the school’s Property and Grounds Committee thought it might be a good time to approach the idea of painting the interior of the school.
Moore, a color consultant and owner of Contemporary Color Concepts, felt that the white walls at Laning Avenue School did not reflect the spirit and heart of the school. She presented the idea of painting the hallways of the school to Joanna Breitenbach, co-president of the Laning SCA. Breitenbach then met with Julie DiGiacomo, the new principal at Laning, over the summer and presented the idea. The idea was embraced by all. Through many conversations that included the superintendent of Verona Public Schools, Steve Forte, and Paul McDevitt, director of buildings and grounds for the Verona School District, a plan was put into place. With the blessing of Forte, and McDevitt agreeing to supply the paint, Moore and Breitenbach worked arduously to make the project happen.
Moore began to research colors that children respond to, and that are considered conducive to a productive and inspired learning environment, while Breitenbach recruited additional parent volunteers to paint the hallways. The women met with Principal DiGiacomo to select colors, measure the walls, and prepped the building for painting.
On August 25 and August 26, close to 16 parent volunteers gathered over the weekend with the new principal to paint the several hallways in the front end of the Laning Building. The parents rallied around the project with enthusiasm and were thrilled with the results. They were more than willing to give of their time.
After witnessing the impact of the project, many of the volunteers actually expressed an interest in painting other areas of the building that could use some “freshening and brightening”. Unanimously, they felt that this was a more inviting place for children. The spirit of the project really captured the heart of Laning School and is symbolic of the amazing community it serves. The “big reveal”, is scheduled for the first day of school on September 6 and Back to School Night on September 12.
