As COVID-19 takes many annual school activities away, there is one thing students and staff may be interested in that can substitute them – painting the school’s parking spots. Although it is hard to replace traditional school-held functions, everyone is making the best out of this situation. Painting can be a new addition to our school community. 

As seniors at IHS, we want to give the younger grades a chance to experience as much as they can during this pandemic. Students being able to park their parking spots at the beginning of the year is not only a fun activity, but it also allows us to take part in COVID-friendly projects. We interviewed Mr. Mitchell in hopes to get his opinion on this. Here’s what we got from it – “I have never considered it. I think it is an interesting idea, but there would obviously be a cost involved with that. And there’d have to be some parameters around the size and content of the design. It is something to think about-maybe a fundraiser?”

Some benefits to this is it can be used as another outlet for students to express their creativity and show off their unique talents. It will also brighten up the parking lot during these gloomy times. And of course, with any other school-led activity, there will be requirements. For example, there will be a payment fee considering we could host this as a fundraiser. Students must also turn in an application to be able to paint with school-appropriate ideas for their spots. Additionally, there will be dedicated times in which students and staff will be able to paint. In turn there will be less congestion in the parking lot that could potentially cause traffic.

Participants will also need to bring their own supplies. It is suggested that they bring masking tape, paint brushes, paints (water-based or solvent-based paints are recommended). Furthermore, we asked some students for their opinion on this idea and here’s what they had to say – “…it would be so fun to have another activity to do and once we graduate people can paint over it,” says senior Rowan Galanis. Next, we asked two juniors how they would feel if they were able to paint parking spots at the beginning of their senior year and they said, “Yes I think that would be such a fun idea because our school has never done anything like that and I think it would be a fun activity,” says Lexi James. And, “I think that is a great tradition to start up. It gives a student something to do during this hard time and it’s something they can look forward to every morning,” Alexa Aeliopoulos.

Many schools around America have taken the opportunity to participate in this type of painting. Some schools are even close to IHS. These include Stoneham High School and Georgetown High School; both are in Massachusetts. Schools located not so close to IHS include West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida and James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas. 

Not only would this activity be something students and staff look forward to at the beginning of the school year, it also gives partakers a sense of individuality and allows them to have pride in their work. Like mentioned above, it is important for students to make the best out of their high school years because they fly by. COVID-19 has taken away traditional projects schools have regularly participated in, but that just opens new doors for IHS students and staff.