Dear Crocker Alumni:

You may remember that when Janet Chun, our former principal, retired a couple years ago, the creation of a mural was donated in her honor. The mural will be on the big, middle wall outside the science labs and the project is about to start. Over the next few months, the mural will be planned, sketched, and painted on the wall in conjunction with Precita Eyes, muralists from the Mission District in San Francisco.

Below is part of an email Janet sent with her ideas as to what she would like to have included in the mural and her wish for child input.  Using those ideas as a parameter, we want to solicit participation in the creation of the mural.  If you would like to submit some art, please create something, a scene (one of the ones Janet mentioned or another), Crocker lettering, as in a title, or other wording, or anything else you think might enhance the mural. We are continuing to collect art samples. From there, we will work with the muralist to incorporate peoples' art.  Since a few of you are Crocker alums, please pass on this opportunity to any fellow alums or residents as this is a community project.

All artwork and ideas can be submitted by email to ccollins@hcsd.k12.ca.us, in person to the Crocker office, or by mail to: Attention: Mural Project, Crocker Middle School, 2600 Ralston Avenue, Hillsborough, CA 94010.

We are also planning a Community Painting Day on Sunday, November 4th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Anyone in the Hillsborough community can participate. Look out for more information about this event as the project gets under way.  

Janet's email regarding the mural:  One of the artists we had met with had an idea that I loved and that was to sort of continue the backdrop of the trees that are just above the wall.  I liked the idea of extending nature especially since it's just outside of the science department.  There could be images that are reminiscent of Outdoor Ed - plant life, banana slugs, Viking kids on a night hike, etc.  There could be airplanes flying that are reminiscent of the Fly Offs.  There could be kids running in the Turkey Trot.  These would also be images that are timeless and meaningful even to the alumni who are donating towards this project.  I think it would be great to brainstorm with the students and staff on images that could be included.  I would hope that there would be a multi-cultural look to the mural - maybe images of kids of all nationalities.  My own personal feeling is that it not be something that memorializes any one particular person.  I would love for the Viking image or logo to be represented - could be on the kids' clothing as well as the school colors.  These are just my ideas.  What's more important than my ideas would be what the kids would like to see there.

For more information about this project please contact Harini Krishnan, Crocker VP Volunteers, at harinivikas@yahoo.com.