Liles family continues Spanish 4 painting tradition

Shaw Local News Network

Since Jane Lenkaitis became the full-time Spanish teacher at Putnam County High School in 1984, her Spanish 4 students have been painting the history and culture of Latin America and Spain on the classroom walls, ceiling tiles and the walls right outside the Spanish classroom for a final project.

Over the years, the PCHS administration has agreed to not paint over the walls in the Spanish classroom, as many local families have taken special pride in making their mark in PCHS history.

In 2016, Jane Lenkaitis retired from PC after teaching for more than 32 years and her daughter Helen Lenkaitis applied, interviewed and got the job to fill her shoes.

One of the first questions the students asked Helen was, “Are we going to continue to do the Spanish 4 artwork?”

The answer was yes.

For decades, generations of families at PCHS have been painting history and culture on the walls in and outside of the Spanish classroom. When many students come to PCHS for eighth-grade orientation their parents often show their artwork to their children, or the incoming freshmen look for their brother, sister or cousin’s artwork.

Participating in the tradition, the Liles family has created a family tradition of drawing versions of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl is the god of learning, writing and books.

Derek Liles (Class of 2000) is the father of Rylee (2019) and Katelyn Liles (2023). All three Liles family members took the Spanish name of Quetzalcoatl.

Katelyn and Rylee hope to see their youngest sister, Jersey, keep up the family tradition, showing her a place on the wall they saved for her artwork.