TOLEDO—A Lenten service project for Notre Dame Academy students led to an extended commitment to aid Queen of Apostles School in the central city of Toledo.

Toledo Notre Dame Academy art students paint a mural at Queen of Apostle’s Elementary School as part of their Lenten service project. (Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Academy)

While the initial Lenten project began with assistance in cleaning and painting several areas of Queen of Apostle, including the main hallway, the many ways NDA students could be of assistance to Queen of Apostles became recognized by faculty, staff and administration involved with the project.

The Art IVH NDA students designed a mural to be painted in the main hallway of the elementary school in the upper grades section that spans nearly 40 feet in length and is 55 inches high. The students have incorporated the diversity present in the Queen of Apostles student body and the importance of academics, religion, friends and sports.

Students Nicole Giacci, Julia Mazur, Jessica McCrury, Stephanie Sherman, Maelee Yang, Andrea Bremer, Deanna Dailey and Lauren Vandenbroek went to Queen of Apostles April 8 to trace the mural design. The mural was planned at NDA and the preliminary work on the mural was completed during the high school class session and the high school students were able to return during the lunch session without affecting any other classes.

On April 10, the group was joined by Kendall Brickman, Kasey Fought, Katie Opacewski, Mariah Riley, Michaela Savona, Clare Schoen, Lauren Vandenbroek and Anne Weidner.

The following week, elementary students from Queen of Apostles assisted the art students on the mural by “painting” with their handprints to provide grass texture and cloud formations, which added in their ownership and pride of the mural project.