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A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 79F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..
Overcast. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
The cafeteria at Gail N. Chapman Elementary School in Randolph has a new name and colorful new look as The Cardinal Café. Cafeteria Manager Lori Benson (right) is with her son, Cody, who posed as the Cardinal mascot during open house.
A family checks out all the design details on the new cafeteria wall.
The newly designed wall includes a scene of the greens of Cardinal Hills Golf Course next door.
The cafeteria at Gail N. Chapman Elementary School in Randolph has a new name and colorful new look as The Cardinal Café. Cafeteria Manager Lori Benson (right) is with her son, Cody, who posed as the Cardinal mascot during open house.
RANDOLPH — Parents, students and other community members attending open house at Gail N. Chapman Elementary School Wednesday evening were introduced to the cafeteria’s fresh, new look.
Now called The Cardinal Café — where friends eat healthy — the cafeteria has been transformed into a colorful and inviting space for students and staff to enjoy during their lunch and free time.
There are many little details in the mural-like design significant to the Randolph community including cardinals to represent the school’s beloved mascot, animals commonly seen in the area and a representation of Cardinal Hills Golf Course located next door. The design also includes the elementary slogan, “It’s a great day to be a cardinal!” in a banner at the top of the wall.
The makeover was the idea of Cafeteria Manager Lori Benson, Elementary Principal Kristy Carlson and Business Manager Charlie Shevlin who began the process over a year ago. Benson, who is in her 21st year at the school, said the booth of Imaginate Your Space caught her eye while attending a food show a few years ago.
Based in Worcester, Mass., Imaginate Your Space is a nationally recognized custom design team that creates outstanding graphics that transform a school’s appearance into exciting, creative spaces. Founded by Tacey T. Martinek, head designer and owner of the company, the team creates custom lunchroom designs.
“Their products were just so bright and well-made,” Benson said. “I asked the lady for her card and she gave me a little sample along with it, so I could show the product to our school district administrators.”
A family checks out all the design details on the new cafeteria wall.
Charles Shevlin, school business executive for the Randolph, said they worked with Imaginate Your Space, who has done work for other school districts in the region. He said their work can also be seen in schools in the New England states and as far west as Michigan.
“(Imaginate) make it a collaborative process with the schools they are working with. We met once or twice a month for a period of six or eight months and came up with ideas for them,” he said. “They took our cardinal logo and asked questions about the school. We told them we had a golf course next door so they incorporated that into the artwork. They wanted to ensure we were satisfied with their product.”
Shevlin said the team from Imaginate started the mural at the end of July and finished the artwork in three days.
“They started with a detailed, two-dimensional painted scene, then added three-dimensional punch art cut with a CNC router,” he said. “The punch art on top of the mural gave it the wow-factor that makes the figures pop.”
Benson’s main purpose was to make the cafeteria more welcoming for elementary students by creating a fun, imaginative space for everyone who walked through the doors. She said nothing has been done to the cafeteria for years — the room had nothing interesting to look at and no color. A few structural changes have been made, including the removal of a stage, but nothing that appealed to young students.
The newly designed wall includes a scene of the greens of Cardinal Hills Golf Course next door.
“Our school colors are red and white, but there is none of that in this building,” she said.
“We wanted to design a cardinal character that was cuter and more friendly-looking than the cardinal mascot used at the high school.”
Shevlin credits Benson as the driving force for the cafeteria project. He said she really headed up the effort to complete it and to put on the open house event.
“Lori is very passionate about the work she does at the school (cafeteria) and she really, truly cares about the experience the kids have,” he said. “She wants to provide the highest level of service as possible to make it the best experience for students.”
Shevlin said the room’s new look was received very well. A cafeteria worker who was helping at the open house said, “as soon as the kids walked in, their eyes were popping.”
“The kids are so used to seeing the standard wall in the room, but now they have something to really look at and enjoy,” he said. “It’s really a big deal for the kids. It’s a whole new imaginative space for them to drift away to during lunch, and we are really excited to get their imaginations going.”
(Contact press reporter Deb Everts at salpressdeb@gmail.com)
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