The art department has begun to create new signage around campus as a push to bring more personality to campus. The art students have been working on making signs for months, since  late September.

Art teacher Lauren Minadeo said, “We started talking about the school and how we needed more…outside decoration. [It’s] always clean, it’s always put together,… but it’s just not as bright and vibrant as it could be. Last year we got the [Dolores Huerta] mural on the side of the gym and it really inspired us to push forward to start really decorating the school and putting up cool signage.”

Minadeo said, “We got together with Mrs. Botello-Lopez and talked to her, and started getting a list of things she wanted to see around school. [Art teacher Megan McKee, Botello and I] walked all over the school and took notes like we want something here, we want something there, so we had this huge list.”

The project is an assignment for the VHS AP Art students. AP 2-D Art and Design student Rebecca Foster ‘24 said, “We had [a list] where we were told where [the signs] were going to be and what [the signs] should be, like the attendance sign.” From there, some of the signs evolved into more intricate pieces where students had more creative control.

As a WASC accredited school, VHS also works towards achieving different goals laid out by the organization. This signage project completes goal one of improving “the academic achievement of students who are English Learners and students with disabilities,” as well as goal five, “increase the rigor of effectiveness of school-wide and department wide collaboration to improve the culture and climate [of VHS].” 

The art department collaborated with the woodshop classes and administration to get items for their project. “Some of the [cut out pieces] were cut out by hand by the artists, or we got woodshop [students] to [cut] them out,” said Foster.

The original deadline for the project was Dec. 1, but now the students are hoping to have all signs finished by the end of the semester in late January. As for when the signs will be displayed around campus, Minadeo said, “We are waiting for the district to come in and hang them because we can’t hang them [ourselves]. The work order is already in, so it can be anytime. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks they’ll start to go up.”

“We are excited to be done [and] excited to see them in the hallways,” said Foster.