A collaboration between Whitefish High School art and language arts students resulted in a moving display with the punchy, alliterative title, “Staff Profile Project – Putting Personality on Paper.”

WHS art teacher Claire Kniveton’s Art 1 and advanced art classes joined forces with Nikki Reed’s ninth-grade language arts classes to depict and interview all 76 staff members working at Whitefish High School. The project included everyone: support staff, administration, custodial, lunchroom, maintenance and faculty.

Reed said the idea for the show was inspired by the contributors' section of many magazines wherein readers are treated to more personal information via vignettes of the publication’s writers and artists.

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” she said. “How cool to know a little bit more about everyone that contributes to the school.”

Each student was matched with a member of the staff and the show consisted of portraits with paragraphs. The show has become a gathering place for people to see and discuss the work.

For a short time, before the writing was complete, the pictures stood alone, tempting viewers to guess who was who.

“Having people out here talking about it and guessing — students and colleagues talking together about it,” Reed said. “I think that is one of my favorite parts.”

One staff member described the show as “unifying,” and Whitefish High School Principal Kerry Drown said the interdisciplinary project pulled the school community closer.

“The project created new types of interactions between students and teachers, which definitely has a positive influence on our school culture,” Drown said. “Although the end products are certainly fun and impressive to view and read, there are many more benefits than what meets the eye.”

Starting in December, students sent questions to the staff and arranged times to meet to gather information for their short biographies. Meanwhile, the art students requested photos from the staff so they could begin drawing.

Students in the Art 1 class were required to draw while the advanced art students could choose to draw or paint. They worked from photos they received from staff, many of which showcased hobbies and interests, while others included a family member or pet.

“That was the cool personalization of it,” Kniveton said. “Staff was able to share a photo that showed them away from work.”

The art students asked their subjects if they had a preference on the background and what feeling they wanted the art to convey, then proceeded to work on the detailed portraits.

Meanwhile, the ninth-grade language arts classes reviewed the responses to the questionnaires and interviewed staff members who shared stories about why they decided to live in Whitefish, places they’ve traveled and their hobbies, while others shared deeper personal events.

“I think it was really hard (for some students) to interview someone they didn’t even know — that’s challenging,” Reed said. “It was challenging to write a short piece because transitions are difficult and to get as much information about someone in a short amount of (space), every word counts.”

Students wrote vignettes that captured their subject’s personality and completed several revisions before arriving at the final piece. Staff read and approved their work before it was displayed.

“It was challenging but some students said it was the most memorable thing ever,” Reed said. “Just to know more about a teacher — a backstory.”

Reed and Kniveton have received positive feedback from the staff who say they love the show. Kniveton said that, in the end, she thinks the students felt a sense of pride when the show came together and that it was a unifying experience.

“It speaks to the social-emotional learning side of it — the connecting and the vulnerability of staff and students to be open to this project,” Kniveton said. “Then just learning and coming together in something that is hard and challenging.”

This cross-curricular project served as a way for people to get to know one another while highlighting the skills and perseverance of students.

“Anytime we can showcase young people being awesome, contributing, engaged citizens, the better,” said Reed. “Because they are.”

“They are,” agreed Kniveton. “Just have to give them the opportunities.”