The Clinton County Middle School is getting somewhat of a face lift. Nothing structurally is being done, but Art teacher Pam Miniard is adding decorations to the sidewalks and to the driveway coming into the school.

“I just thought it would be good to do this,” Miniard said. “I hope it might give a little pride and school spirit to the kids.”

Miniard said she worked three days on the paw prints leading into the school and will spend another day and a half on the Bulldog in the entryway of the building.

Clinton County Middle School Principal Pam Bale said she can’t wait for the people in the community to see this.

“It brings a lot of pride and school spirit,” Bale said. “I hope the community sees this as a good welcome. She is a phenomenal teacher and a great person. She was out there when it was 102 degrees one day. She is very giving to the students and that’s why she did that … it’s for the community and for the students especially.”

Another reason for dressing up the outside of the middle school is to show people from other counties that Clinton County has pride in its facility.

“I can’t wait for other teams and other visitors to arrive and just hear the comments,” Bale said.

According to Bale, the project started in March of this year.

“She came to me and asked what I thought about it and anything she wants to do to help improve the aesthetics of the school, I’m all for it,” Bale said. “I told her ‘by all means … what ever you need I will get for you.’ It kind of evolved from that.”

Bale said the original project only included the paw print down the driveway into the school, but later Miniard came to Bale with the idea of putting a Bulldog bursting out of the concrete in the entry way.

“She came to me and asked about a Bulldog that’s busting out of the concrete and I said ‘That sounds great,’” Bale said. “I think it’s important for people to understand that she did that because she wanted to. It was all on her own time and it’s just because she loves the kids.”

Miniard has also, with the help of her students, painted on the inside of the building, including the walls, glass and ceiling tiles.

“I’ve pretty much just shared with her … anything she wants to do that will involve the students and showcase their abilities and their talents, I’m all for it.”

Bale said the students love painting on the ceiling tiles and working on projects within the school.

“They love it. I think they even went home and told their parents and some of them even commented on the glass last year,” Bale said. “When you tell them that the students did it, then they are amazed at the talent we have.”

Students and parents will have a face to face look at the new art work Monday night, July 30, as fifth grade orientation begins at 5 p.m. The sixth through eighth grade will meet at 6:30 p.m. on the same night.

The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, August 7.

“We have talked about and have planned, like we have a math night, incorporating art and music into our Title One night,” Bale said. “It will kind of be like a showcase for our students.”

Bale said she is still in the planning stages of the events, but hopes to get that in the works soon.

“It may be in conjunction with our reading night and our math night,” Bale said. “We want to kind of expand on that.”

at C.C.M.S.

Pam Miniard, art teacher at the Clinton County Middle School, worked last week on an art project on the front sidewalk at the entryway to the school. The large Bulldog she is painting on the concrete sidewalk comes at the end of large pawprints that lead down the entryway to the facility. At left, Miniard used a smaller sketch with color schemes depicted as a guide for the larger Bulldog.