Positive quotes brighten day for Mariner Middle students

Looking for creative ideas, Mariner Middle physical education/health teacher Nicole Scott decided to brighten student bathrooms using inspiring quotes.

“It was a great idea, but I needed help executing the project,” Scott said. “I had no clue how to begin and just wanted kids to see positivity throughout the school because it’s contagious.”

Scott turned to art teacher Linda Rapchak, who worked with technology teacher John Dean to prepare quotes so they could be transferred to bathroom stalls.

About 20 teachers, administrators and school board members signed up to paint 32 bathroom stalls Saturday, Oct. 20. Rapchak said volunteers taped carbon paper to each stall, taped the positive quote on top and traced the image so it transferred to the stall, ready to paint.

“It was easy to do for those who wanted to help but didn’t feel artsy,” Rapchak said.

Volunteer artists filled in the stencils, and many added their own embellishments.

English language arts teacher Amanda Kilby spent her Saturday volunteering to work on the quotes.

“It was fun and cathartic,” she said.

Rapchak said students were pleasantly surprised when they entered bathrooms the following Monday.

“It was a great school effort,” Rapchak said. “Participation made it happen.”