08/23/2026
As our seniors begin their final year at RCJSHS, I have found myself reflecting on the old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child."
That idea was already on my mind before Senior Paint even began. The night before, we watched our community rally around the Hodgson family in a powerful way. Then yesterday, in a much lighter setting, I saw that same instinct to show up for one another all over again.
Senior Paint is, at its heart, about individuality. Each senior gets to take a small physical piece of our school and make it their own. As a passerby parent told me: "it is such a reflection of their individuality and identity." I wholeheartedly agree thay it can reflect their personality, interests, memories, and identity. But what I enjoyed just as much as seeing the finished spots was watching how many people it took to create them.
Families helping other families outline sketches, moms holding up a tent to block the sun, and friends helping fill in designs when the sun was boring down on them. People shared paint, supplies, advice, and plenty of manual labor. People simply saw where help was needed and stepped in. I even watched kids stop to help get a dead car started, and before long an entire small group of people had gathered around to help.
As our seniors know, I can never resist an opportunity to talk about government. This past week we have been talking about civic virtue and the idea that freedom is not just "freedom from" something, but also "freedom for" something. A healthy community depends on people choosing to use their freedom to participate, contribute, and care for those around them.
Over the course of two very different evenings, our young people got to see that idea lived out. Sometimes showing up for your community means rallying around a family when they need it most. Sometimes it means grabbing a paintbrush, helping trace a design, sharing supplies, or getting somebody’s car running. The circumstances are very different, but the instinct behind them is the same: We take care of one another.
Every finished parking spot and donation is individual, but the process was anything but.
Each parking spot belongs to one senior, but the past couple days belonged to the village. A pretty special way to begin senior year.