ESTEVAN — Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) students are leaving a lasting impression on their community through a unique collaboration between two seemingly different subjects - art and physical education.
Guided by their teachers, Jessica Smoliak and Jillian Connelly, nine PE 20/30 all-girls class students and 15 art 20/30 students united to create a striking mural at the Fresh Air Fitness outdoor gym. This initiative underscored the school's commitment to fostering volunteerism and community engagement.
The mural project started with Smoliak's involvement with Fresh Air Fitness co-founders Peggy Rohatyn and Debby Knight, aimed at familiarizing ECS students with the facility and available equipment.
"Since Peggy and Debby Knight are all about community involvement and fundraising, I thought it would be a great idea to give back to them and show appreciation for what they do for Estevan," Smoliak shared. "As a teacher and coach, I am always trying to make my students better humans by teaching them the meaning of giving back or paying it forward."
Volunteerism is part of Smoliak's PE class curriculum, in which every year she gives the all-girls class an opportunity to decide on an organization in the community to help.
"This year since we spent so much time with Peggy at Fresh Air Fitness in September, we decided to give back to Peggy and Debby for all that they do for the community," said Smoliak. "The PE Girls had a vision of what they wanted displayed in the mural but needed help with the drawing part."
Recognizing the need for artistic expertise, Smoliak partnered with Connelly's Art 20/30 class, creating a cross-curricular project that emphasized teamwork and shared creativity.
Teachers highlighted Justice Howse, an art student, who played a significant role in the mural's creation.
"She designed the mural and put in a lot of time outside class. We'd like to highlight her because she did an exceptional job," Smoliak said.
However, this was not a solo effort. All involved students partook, and around eight of them from both classes went above and beyond, volunteering their weekends and spare periods to work on the mural.
Despite their enthusiasm, the project was not without its hurdles. Weather conditions threatened to derail progress when it started spitting and snowing, teachers recalled. The teachers were disappointed, but the students were eager to make it work, so they regrouped and made it better than ever.
"There was this huge, amazing push to finish the project," Smoliak said.
The timing was fortuitous, as the mural was completed just before a major snowfall.
The project allowed for many memories and takeaways. Connelly recalled the best moments including "having the music playing in the background on the portable speaker, Smoliak's hot chocolate, the laughs and conversations while drawing and painting but most of all, the students loved being able to have a project that they were proud of and able to walk past and know they were involved with."
In addition to its vibrant colours and inspiring themes, the mural features a personal tribute. The students dedicated a section to Mya, Smoliak's recently lost family dog, including a purple heart nametag in her honour.
"Teenagers are the best and this is one of the many reasons why I love working with them," said Smoliak.
In their feedback, students said the experience was memorable and fun and they were thankful for the opportunity.
The PE students' contributions extended beyond the mural, as they helped set up the Fresh Air Fitness display for the Festival of Lights, assisting with everything from moving equipment to decorating trees and assembling the signature igloo.
"My period 2 HP PE 20 class went down during their PE class to help Peggy and Debby move all of the Fresh Air Fitness items from storage to take to the park to be set up for the Festival of Lights. … I appreciated how they all showed up and took the time to do it for someone else in need," Smoliak said.
"My Period 1 all-girls 20/30 class again helped with the setup of lights with the igloo and tree wrapping. They loved doing it even in the cold. This class is up for any challenge I throw at them," she added.
The collaborative project also fostered new friendships between students who otherwise wouldn't have crossed paths.
"At the beginning, they were shy and didn't talk much," said Connelly. "By the end of three weeks of doing the project together, they were laughing, talking and sharing weekend plans."
Smoliak echoed the sentiment, noting that even the teachers benefited. She said that they normally don't get to work with students outside their subject areas, but now when she sees art students in the hallways or at lunch, she has a connection with them.
"It just makes it that much stronger at school," she said.
Numerous families also came to check out the progress and the final result, supporting their kids and grandkids.
Both teachers hope this experience will inspire future community involvement, encouraging students to seek out more opportunities like this. There are already discussions about future initiatives, as teachers are hoping to get volunteers for the Coal Country Run event in the spring.
For both teachers, the project reaffirmed their passion for working with teenagers.
"I feel sometimes teenagers get a bad rap, [people look] at what they do poorly, or a bad decision, but these teenagers, … they're amazing humans," Smoliak said.
"They're a joy to be around," Connelly added, noting that the mural project is proof of what teenagers can achieve when given the chance.
