The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Teacher brightens up MJMS with paint




Mt. Juliet Middle School teacher Lisa Haskell painted throughout the entire school during the two-week Christmas break, including stripes on the cafeteria walls to highlight the school logo. SUBMITTED

Mt. Juliet Middle School teacher Lisa Haskell painted throughout the entire school during the two-week Christmas break, including stripes on the cafeteria walls to highlight the school logo. SUBMITTED

While most Wilson County teachers enjoyed a two-week Christmas break with family trips, catching up with friends or simply chilling, one teacher spent the break painting an entire school.

Mt. Juliet Middle School Exceptional Education teacher Lisa Haskell spent her holiday break giving MJMS a makeover. She spent more than 117 hours equipped with a roller, a ladder and scaffold sprucing up the school with black, white and gray paint.

“I just thought it needed to be done,” Haskell said. “I wanted the teachers, administrators and students to come back to a fresh, new start and get rid of any negativity. I wanted them to feel appreciated.”

She said the school needed the aesthetic reboot for the new year.

“It’s brighter and more inviting, like a rebirth,” Haskell said.

She taught special needs students at MJMS from 2010 to 2014 and left to work at Best Buddy’s, however, she returned this academic year because she said she simply missed the school and the close interaction with her students.

Haskell said the project would not have been possible if the school’s PTO had not purchased the 67 gallons of paint.

“They were so unbelievably encouraging to me and supportive of our school,” she said.

The teacher said she’s not an artist or a professional painter, but the daunting task of painting an entire school in two weeks shows otherwise. Haskell said the response of the surprised teachers and students was overwhelming.

“The teachers said it made their hearts happy,” she said.

Principal Michael Hickman told Haskell he was deeply impressed.

“He told me there’s no way one person could do it all!” Haskell said with a laugh.

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