NORTH SALT LAKE—The United States map on the playground blacktop at Foxboro Elementary got a facelift on Monday when fifth-grade students helped repaint it. The map had faded over time. 

The idea for the project came about when a couple of fifth graders made a request to their teacher about repainting it, said Principal Jake Heidrich. “They said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’”

It turned into something bigger, he said. “I asked them to write a persuasive essay to the superintendent. I thought it would be a good learning activity. So I sent them to Dr. (Dan) Linford with a note telling him if he happens to have a chance he could stop by.”

They did more than just stop by, Linford and Davis School District Elementary Director Traci Robbins got involved in the project too, he said. “They got a stencil and Traci arranged for the paint. It was a huge, well-planned fun activity.”

It was 100% for the kids, said Heidrich. “It was a student-centered request that turned into something tangible. Their voices were heard and action was taken. They learned that their persuasive letters to the principal and superintendent were not in vain.”

Some of these kids don’t even know what a superintendent is, he said. “This gives the superintendent a face for those kids and they know he cares and that teachers and the principal listen.”

Liam, a fifth grader at Foxboro, told district administrators that he was one of the students who wrote a letter to the superintendent. “It was just a letter to see if we could get these states repainted because they’ve been fading away.”

Liam said he was chosen to paint the 50 United States. “I was asked to paint in Utah. Painting Utah – it feels like I’m representing the state of Utah.”

“I’m Dan Linford, Superintendent of Davis School District,” said Linford to the kids. “We’re here today at Foxboro Elementary because I received a package of letters from the fifth grade class here at Foxboro and they were requesting that we repaint what is a faded map of the United States of America on the blacktop near their playground.”

The students wrote very persuasive essays, he said. “It was really incredible. You can tell from the letters the teacher took this seriously and gave them a lot of great support.”

 “It was positive for the school and kids,” said Heidrich. “We’re growing leaders in my building. I’m so honored by all the people who came out to do this. They showed up and gave a face to the request.”

Heidrich said some of the essays were funny but what he liked more was the words they used. “They were words of kindness. They were polite, saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ That is our expectation at Foxboro. I think that is why Dr. Linford was so moved by it.”

Now students know how to ask if they want something, he said. “I love the whole process. It shows them learning has actual applicable meaning.”

This is Heidrich's first year at Foxboro. “I want people to know that it is an honor and a privilege to be at Foxboro.”