Cimarron Springs says thanks to Principal Richards with special project

During this week of thankfulness, we’d like to highlight the students and staff at Cimarron Springs that thanked and honored their principal, Mrs. Richards with special drawings of her dogs to celebrate her last month.

Students in Ms. Downey’s art class created special drawings of her precious Greyhound pups named Mystic, Miko and Luka.

Ms. Downey and Assistant Principal Deilani Ferguson worked together earlier in the year to create the surprise and asked for photos of Mrs. Richard’s dogs because they know how much they mean to her and how they hold a special place in her heart.

Principal Richards adopted all three dogs from Arizona Adopt a Greyhound who partners with Racing2ReHome from Australia to rehome Greyhounds after they are released from the race track. Mystic raced 82 races in Florida, Miko was trained for the track but never raced and later lost a leg and Luka competed in 36 races in Victoria, Australia.  

During art class, the students were given photos of each pet as a reference and completed over 30 drawings of the three dogs. The students used famous greyhound artist Richard Skipworth as inspiration when capturing the likeness of Mystic, Miko and Luka.

Mrs. Ferguson and Ms. Downey brought Mrs. Richards into the art classroom and presented her with a wall filled with artwork of her beloved pets.

“I cried! I was so surprised and so moved by the gesture and seeing all the drawings completely overwhelmed me,” said Richards. “They both (Ferguson and Downey) know that my dogs mean so much to me!  My entire phone camera roll is of my dogs.”

“Our students recently poured their hearts and efforts into a special project for our principal, Mrs. Richards,” shared Ms. Ferguson. “This wasn’t just a chance to showcase their talents but also a meaningful way to strengthen the bond with a leader who inspires us daily. Through teamwork and dedication, the students not only created something memorable for Mrs. Richards but also fostered a sense of collaboration and pride across campus.” 

“Little did I know that these pictures would end up in the hands of talented students to create such an amazing gift,” shared Richards.