New School Mural Combines Art and French Learning at Saint-Dominique-Savio
High school students in Owen Sound completed a large-scale mural aimed at supporting younger students’ learning and school engagement.
With notes and media from Michael Miller
Students at École secondaire catholique Saint-Dominique-Savio have completed a large-scale mural designed to support both creative expression and early learning.
The mural, located in the elementary school hallway, was initiated by two Grade 11 students, Ethan Cremasco and Sadie Lizotte, as part of a specialized painting course offered during the first semester.
According to a media release from Éloïse Guindon, teacher of fine arts and music at the school, the course was developed as a focus class tailored to students with strong artistic ability, giving them the opportunity to design and execute a project from concept to completion.
Designed by Students, Built Over Two Semesters
The mural project began as a long-term assignment within the painting class and was later continued and completed by a broader visual arts class of students in Grades 9 through 12 during the second semester.
Measuring approximately 8.5 by 35 feet, the mural features a landscape scene with a bright sky and rolling green hills. Clouds shaped like letters of the alphabet appear above, while the foreground includes animals, plants, and fairy tale characters.
Once the painting was complete, vocabulary labels were added beneath each image to support French language learning for younger students.
Focus on Learning and School Environment
The project was designed not only as an artistic exercise, but also as a functional learning tool.
According to Guindon, the mural is intended to help students from junior kindergarten to Grade 6 build vocabulary through visual association, using imagery and colour to support memory and language development.
The project also aimed to create a welcoming and engaging environment for younger students and staff in the elementary wing.
Student Participation
Twelve students took part in the project:
Bianca Carleton (Grade 7)
Willow Easter (Grade 9)
Violet Bryant (Grade 9)
Michelle Kaminski (Grade 9)
Graham Engelhardt (Grade 9)
Lorenzo Bassi Goldman (Grade 9)
Aubrey Given (Grade 9)
Weston Tennant (Grade 10)
Bella Fernandes (Grade 11)
Ethan Cremasco (Grade 11)
Sadie Lizotte (Grade 11)
Mariah Adamson (Grade 12)
The project was supported by Guindon, who led the course and guided students through the process.
A Lasting Addition
The mural is the third created by students at the school and is expected to remain a permanent feature of the building.
According to Guindon, projects like this contribute to a positive school climate while giving students an opportunity to leave a lasting mark on their learning environment.
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