Clarke Elementary receives paint grant

A fresh coat of paint can liven up a room, or even instill school spirit in a hallway.

Clarke Community Elementary School is going to have school colors painted in its hallways this summer.

“We’re going to have maroon and white stripes,” said Clarke Community Elementary School Principal Brandon Eighmy.

True Value

Clarke Elementary received a grant of 40 gallons of free paint through True Value’s Painting a Brighter Future program.

The program provides paint to more than 100 schools every year.

Since 2009, True Value has covered more than 3 million square feet of classrooms with a fresh coat of paint.

Jeff Nelson Sr., assistant manager at Robinsons True Value in Osceola, encouraged the school to apply for the grant in November.

“When I first discovered True Value had this program, I let Clarke and Murray know,” Nelson said.

Murray received the grant in previous years, and Nelson kept reminding Clarke every time it was time to apply.

Eighmy said the elementary school took Nelson’s words of encouragement seriously.

“Because we serve such a huge number of students ... it was a good opportunity for us to share a little bit more about who we are,” he said.

When Robinsons True Value received the email stating Clarke had received the grant, Nelson said, “we were just ecstatic about it.”

Leadership

School stripes will be going on the upstairs and downstairs areas of the building.

“I thought it was an excellent idea,” Nelson said. “I think most schools are painted that way.”

After the walls are painted maroon and white, the plan is to put leadership quotes throughout the building since Clarke Elementary is a Leader in Me school.

The Leader in Me is an innovative, school-wide model that emphasizes a culture of student empowerment and helps unleash each child’s full potential.

By applying “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®,” which is through The Leader in Me, teachers and students internalize timeless leadership principles that nurture the skills students need for success in the 21st century.

The school song will also be painted by the music room.

Between the school colors, leadership quotes and school song, Eighmy said this paint is an opportunity “to remind kids about what leadership is.”

So far, volunteers have been putting in a lot of hours priming and painting the interior.

Eighmy said the interior of the school will definitely look different once school resumes in August.

“When kids come they’ll definitely notice the difference,” he said.