YHS students help paint mural

A group of Yuma High School artists has proven a work of art not only brings beauty to a drab wall but serves as a convenient reference tool for younger students.

Students from the Yuma High Art Club, along with members of the Criminal's football team, linked up Saturday to enhance the playground wall at the Mesquite Elementary School, said Aurora Frost, YHS guidance counselor.

Schools are scrambling for creative ways to stretch their budgets, so when Mesquite kindergarten teacher Rhea Dee suggested a mural for the school playground, Frost jumped at the chance. She said her Criminals are always looking for community service projects they can help with.

"It will beautify the playground and enrich the students learning because it's curriculum-based and meets state board of education standards."

The wall will face the kindergarten classroom and includes a tree with an alphabet, geometric shapes with numbers and pattern puzzles that will test youngsters' ability to recognize a repetitive number series.

Shannon Mitchell, art club adviser, said she hopes the wall will help the kindergarten students retain some very basic concepts they will need to carry them through the foundation of their academic career. She hopes her art club members feel their art can always be shared with the community and not just confined among themselves.

"I also want them to feel satisfaction of helping out with the community and younger generations so they may become outstanding role models."

She also praised the club for its prior civic service efforts raising money last year for the recently opened Yuma Bark Park.

Gaby Reya, 17, a senior, is one of the mural artists. She said she is proud to be helping an elementary school and knows the children will be appreciative of the art club's hard work. Gaby, who plans on becoming an animator, also said the mural will give the younger students an inspiration to learn and brighten their days at school.

Frost said the project could not possibly have occurred if not for generous donations of paint from Mitcham' Paints, Plaza Paints, Andy's 5th Avenue Paints, Sherwin Williams and Walmart. The project also had to buy brushes, rollers and other supplies that were made possible by generous financial donations from Desert Sun Concrete and Wendy Lobeck.

"Thankfully, the Yuma community came through for both schools."

William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.