News Highlights

Mural celebrating diversity unveiled at Franklin School

Minnesota State University students help with project

A diversity mural painted by volunteers and coordinated by Minnesota State Mankato students, faculty and staff was unveiled recently at Franklin Elementary School.

2007-05-23
By Amanda Dyslin, Free Press staff writer [published in The Free Press, Mankato, MN, 5/22/2007]

Principal Les Koppendrayer's directions were clear.

On three, hundreds of Franklin Elementary School students lined along a wall in a long upstairs hallway could begin tearing yards and yards of paper covering a Celebrating Diversity mural for its grand unveiling. Their little fingers were poised beneath the bottom edges.

For children as young as about 6 years old, they were showing miraculous patience. But Koppendrayer went on a bit long.

In the midst of "I want you to do it with eagerness, but under control ...," the first tear was made, which led to another and another until Koppendrayer's "whoas" could no longer be heard beneath the noise.

It was a frenzy of shredding paper and masking tape flying to the ground, where it was then stomped and kicked and tossed around by the kids before they remembered why they were there in the first place. When they finally looked up, they saw it — images representing countries across the globe.

Many agreed with first-grader Jeffrey Haeder.

"I think it's good," he said.

In about a week and 212 volunteer hours, a mural representing Italy, Somalia, Norway, Germany and Canada, as well as the overall idea of diversity, had been completed to kick off International Week on Monday at Franklin and to help celebrate the 47 countries represented by the diverse student body.

A parent committee came up with the idea for the mural, which will be the first of many across the school until all 47 countries are represented.

Monica Mineault, a first-grader, was especially proud of this first one. She and her parents designed the Canadian portion of the mural with a moose, trees (one of which Monica drew, herself) and a Canadian proverb:

"Patience is a tree whose root is bitter, but its fruit is very sweet."

Katie Friesen, an English Language Learning teacher, and volunteer Katie Boone coordinated the effort and volunteers, which included parents and Minnesota State University faculty and students.

Boone hopes the mural will help students feel like an important part of Franklin.

"I think it shows ownership of the school," she said.

The second mural, to be designed and painted by an MSU art class, will begin soon.

The process will be ongoing until they all are finished.

"There's 42 countries left," Friesen said. "I'm guessing it'll take most of the school."

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