What: West High School students are painting a mural at MaxFund Animal Shelter (across the street from the school). The project is being coordinated through the ninth-grade “House Leadership Period,” a class that focuses on helping students make a good transition from middle school to high school and encouraging students to be active members of their school and communities.

Who: 100 ninth-graders from House A in West High School’s Freshmen Learning Community (FLC). The FLC is the first stage of the redesign of West High School that will eventually divide the school into smaller learning communities.

When: Painting continues today (weather permitting) and for about the next two weeks. A dedication ceremony is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 3 at noon. At the dedication, students plan to present the shelter with a donation of dog and cat food and toys collected by the students.

Where: The mural is on a fence located on the corner of West 10th Ave. and Galapago St., on the west side of the West High School campus.

More: “We are trying to do this to help our community and to make our community look clean,” one student explained. The students worked on one of four committees: Public Relations, Design, Management, and Technical Planning. The 72-foot fence is divided into four panels, each with a different theme. The Max Fund Animal Shelter is a no-kill animal shelter and the students have learned about its mission and services before development of the mural’s themes. Examples of themes are: “Who needs heaven … all dogs go to MaxFund” and “Be kind to all.”

More: Contact Emily Seaman, West High School, 303-620-5300, ext 2136.