School Classy Again After Fall Cleaning by Volunteers

They came early--with their brooms, their rakes, their shovels and their paint brushes. Rubbing the sleep from their eyes--the sun had yet to peek out from the clouds--students, parents and the staff of Canyon High School gave the school grounds a once over.

It wasn’t a pretty sight.

Dead shrubs, trash strewn on the sidewalks, paint-peeled and gum-covered benches and rusty trash cans were the greetings of the day. It was a dirty job, but they clamored to get it done.

Four hours and buckets of sweat later, the toilers had whipped the eyesore into shape--just in time to welcome students back to school next month.

About 120 people participated Saturday in the school’s first annual Canyon Pride Day, sprucing up the grounds neglected all summer for the new school year. Participants donated the entire morning to give the school a face-lift. Hours later, they proudly surveyed the newly painted benches, trash cans and lockers, the cleanly swept walkways and the freshly planted flowers along the mini-gardens.

“I knew we had to come here and get something done or nothing would be ready for school,” said 17-year-old Terri Riesenberg as she painted the outline of the school’s mascot, a Comanche, on a panel of lockers. “I had planned to go to the beach, but I can always go tomorrow. I’m not missing anything and I’m doing something meaningful.”

Sheila Harel, who coordinated the day’s activities, said the purpose of Canyon Pride Day was to bring parents and students together with school spirit.

“It doesn’t matter what happened to our school district,” Harel told a group of parents, referring to the looming threat of budget cuts. “We’re here for our kids and to show that we can care. And, if the state won’t give us money for cleanup efforts, we can do them ourselves.”

By noon, the work was finished. About 50 of the school’s once-rusted trash cans sported fresh coats of forest green. All of the benches had been sanded down and repainted brown and gold, the school’s colors. A large, muddy courtyard behind the library was now paved with bricks. Bright yellow mums lined flower boxes. And cases and railings were dust-free.

“I know painting trash cans is a dirty job, but it was actually a lot of fun working together with everyone here,” said 17-year-old Cheryenne Harel, her clothes, hands and knees splashed with green paint. “It’s a great feeling to know that we’re a part of the school’s new image.”

School Principal Ralph Jameson also joined in the morning’s toil.

“This is the way it used to be and should be again--everyone working together to show they have pride in their school,” said Jameson, his face and hands smudged with dirt. “We may have just found a way to make the community more a part of our schools.”