Hazardville Memorial School mural celebrates its growth, diversity

Susan Danseyar, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Jun. 9—ENFIELD — The entire Hazardville Memorial School community is contributing artistic touches to a mural that represents growth, diversity, and inclusion.

Early in the morning Wednesday, second graders gathered to make leaves from painted papers for a white oak collage that will hang in the hallway as part of a beautification project for the school.

Other groups of students joined the effort later, and teachers stopped by throughout the day to add their artistry.

Six guests joined in the effort. Enfield High School students Ryan Fairbanks, Becca Gordon, Mberwa Aden, Kai Saucier-Drygren, Marissa Grinuk, and Hawa Adan — all Hazardville alumni — returned to their alma mater to work with small groups of the elementary school students.

Rebecca Fitzgerald, painting teacher at Enfield High School, and Chris Scioscio, K-12 visual arts coordinator for the district, worked for about a month with the alumni to create the painted papers and wooden panels for the collage mural.

Scioscio and Hazardville art teacher Caroline Martin also worked with the elementary school students on painted papers.

The mural is part of a larger project to make beautification improvements inside and outside the school.

Hazardville math teacher Michele Wilcox applied for a $1,000 grant from the Connecticut Education Association last year to work with students on creating visuals that will enhance the interior and exterior of the school.

She said her original idea for the mural was that it would hang inside the front entrance but, after learning there will be work taking place for a new roof in that part of the building, she decided to adorn other school entrances.

After receiving the grant, Wilcox said a group of teachers formed a Beautification Committee, which came up with the idea to create a white oak that would symbolize the school's growth, unity, and diversity.

Wilcox said the committee also plans to have students create two murals next year. One will be a dove with flags from many different countries, symbolizing the many cultures Hazardville students represent.

Wilcox said she reached out to Scioscio and asked if some of the high school students were interested in helping with the tree project. The Hazardville alumni were handpicked to help facilitate, Fitzgerald said.

"I am so happy to see this collaboration," Hazardville Principal Lisa Hunter said when she stopped in to see the students at work. "The Beautification Committee has done so much for our school."

For more coverage of Somers and Enfield, follow Susan Danseyar on Twitter: @susandanseyar, Facebook: Susan Danseyar, reporter.