When they came to the decision to buy their first school sign, the administration of Park Elementary in Holbrook, Arizona knew what they wanted out of their new sign. "We wanted a way to inform parents and the community. We wanted to keep them updated as to what is going on," said Connie McPherson, Principal at Park Elementary. The small K-2 elementary school is located next to a local park, giving the school its namesake. McPherson said they chose Stewart after looking into a few other companies. Even though this was their first time buying a school sign, they knew what they expected from the companies as far as quality and care; they also knew what use they wanted to get out of their sign.
Without a prior sign to improve upon, the school started from scratch with their Stewart Sign consultant to help them along the way. "He was extremely helpful and wasn't pushy. He also helped us with picking out the colors and getting the logo to look the way we wanted it to. We were able to send him a sketch and they created the logo from there." The Road Runner that represented Park Elementary was just what they hoped for, and after installing their new Narrator series sign, Park Elementary was able to use the changeable copy area to create messages that "encourage parental involvement."
Fred Jackson, a teacher at Park Elementary poetically described the sign as "...the proud beacon that calls our students home. Much like a light house, its information provides our parents with upcoming events at our school." According to Principal McPherson, since its installment the sign "has provided clarification" for parents, which has helped increase their awareness and participation regarding events going on at the school. The message board is changed about once a month depending on what events are coming up for that month. McPherson has even changed the message herself and says that she "found it to be very easy". She summed up her impression of Stewart as "very helpful" and "extremely experienced." As for their sign, McPherson says "it serves as a great representation of [their] school. We are extremely pleased."
Connie McPherson, Principal
Park Elementary School
Holbrook, AZ