Students in Mrs. Greenthal’s enrichment program have been hard at work, painting tiny tiles that will be part of a massive mural in the Luzon Train Station once it’s restored. The company assembling the mural only had one request: the color theme of the tiles had to be either warm tones, blue or green. With that restraint in mind, Rockland third and fourth graders Ethan Smith, Halle Thomas, and Sayuri Hackel began painting their nature inspired works.

The enrichment program at Rockland Elementary began this year in accordance with the merger, and Mrs. Greenthal, the arts education teacher, has several grade levels participating. Part of the program includes a studio time three times a week where all grade levels get an opportunity to explore and work on their own projects. This kind of freedom allows students to create with sincerity, increasing confidence and expanding their imagination. 

There’s a few more tiles left to complete before they are sent back to be assembled at the train station, and both students and the community are excited to see the finished product come to life. The local landmark has been unused since the 1950s, and will soon be updated into a space dedicated to the history and artistic culture of the Sullivan County community. These Rockland student pieces are the perfect representation of the next generation becoming part of, and building on, the rich history of the area.