Community Spruces Up Elementary

On Saturday morning, a team of volunteers showed up at Jones Elementary School for the JES Beautification Day. Over 40 people, consisting of parents, teachers, business leaders, and local churches came together to improve the building and grounds before the start of the school year.

Some of the updates include new landscaping at the front entrance, interior and exterior paint, preparing students’ outdoor garden space, and a full restructuring of the south parking lot (more to come on this later). New elementary school principal, Brooke Guthery, has created a theme for this summer called #greenitup. She has been very intentional with her improvements to the building to incorporate the town colors and school pride in every decision she makes.

The front landscaping looks beautiful with the updates. All of the old rock was removed. New bushes, flowers, and mulch greet visitors as they step into the south entrance. Take a look at these before and after shots (courtesy of the Jones Elementary Facebook page).

Exterior paint was applied on the West and South sides of the building. The South side will continue with improvements later, as Principal Guthery has big plans for improved signage. All of the interior trim in the building was painted black over the summer, with the final touches happening on Saturday around the front offices.

There are ten raised beds located in the center of the school grounds, allowing students to get their hands dirty as they actively participate in learning. The raised beds were cleaned and re-mulched on Saturday.

Several local businesses and churches participated in the clean-up. A special thanks goes to Fitness Unlimited for providing breakfast for the volunteers, and Jones United Methodist for providing lunch. Also, all of the paint and supplies for the JES Beautification Day were donated by local businesses, such as Jones Hardware & Lumber, Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot. Tree trimming services were donated by Williams and Sons Lawn and Tree Service.