Clear Lake Elementary students and teachers will see two new murals when they return to school on Aug. 22.
One mural recognizing teacher of the year winners will have framed photos of the winners, name plaques and will honor the 10 most recent years worth of teachers of the year, said parent teacher organization member Courtney Bloomgren.

Nick Hottmann, a 2001 graduate of Oxford High School currently living in Idaho, painted the murals. He has painted several murals in multiple locations around Oxford, including Washington Square, the alleyway between Creative Embroidery and Modern Marketplace and inside Oxford Bike Shoppe.
“We wanted for several years for new people that come into school, current students, teachers, parents, to know that’s a big honor (winning teacher of the year) and they deserve to be shown with that honor,” Bloomgren said. “And especially with Nick’s artwork, that wall will say that.”

Another larger mural in the cafeteria features a Wildcat coming out of the wall and an outline of Michigan with a star in Oxford’s location. The goal for this mural is to make kids excited when they return for their first day of school, Bloomgren said.