LAKELAND, Fla. — A small group of students at Carlton Palmore Elementary in Lakeland have painted motivational messages on bathroom stalls. The painting project was done with the assistance of their art teacher.
- Students paint motivational messages in bathrooms
- Painting project at Carlton Palmore Elementary
- School hopes quotes inspire students to be leaders
The messages include, “Real girls aren’t perfect. Perfect girls aren’t real,” “It’s cool to be kind,” “Do what is right, not what is easy,” “Play nice. Work hard. Stay Kind, “ and “The prettiest thing you can wear is a smile.”
“It’s cool and inspiring and I think we should do it all around the school,” said fifth grader, Jack Peterson, who helped paint the messages in the boys’ bathroom.
The bathrooms aren’t the only thing that’s being painted around the school. Teachers and the principal, Badonna Dardis, started a few years back painting quotes and murals on walls in the hallways. She said they usually paint on early release days.
“We’re here seven to eight hours a day. We want it to be home. We want kids to love the environment and want to be with us every day and learn in a loving, caring, and beautiful environment,” said Principal Dardis.
The school staff hopes the quotes on the walls inspire students to be leaders.
If nothing else, the students said they now have a reason to keep the bathrooms clean.
Dardis estimates it’ll take them about four to five years to cover all of the walls in the school.