FONTANA, CA – Led by Chaparral Academy of Technology (CHAT) Principal Tim McCaffrey and buoyed by chants of “Show Us CHAT,” the school officially revealed its Epic Campus makeover, which has transformed the elementary school’s culture and climate, on May 13.

Standing atop the school’s rooftop, Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) maintenance workers dramatically pulled away plastic tarps to unveil a series of newly-rebranded teal and purple Roadrunner mascots casting watchful eyes over the school and surrounding neighborhood, while faculty, staff, scholars, and parents cheered.

Earlier this school year, Jostens Renaissance named Chaparral Academy the grand-prize winner of its second annual Epic School Revamp Contest. The win came with a $150,000 prize package that included a full campus rebrand.

Inside the school, the Roadrunner motif – anchored by CHAT’s new motto “Leave Your Mark” – was visible throughout, with dozens of banners, murals, and wraps placed on walls, classroom doors, and the front office. A distinctive “X” footprint serves as a symbol for CHAT Roadrunners leaving a lasting impact.

“Today, we celebrate what it means to be a Chaparral Roadrunner. Our scholars and ‘staffulty’ have worked hard all year to establish a culture of success at CHAT, and this day is for them and the entire Chaparral community,” said McCaffrey, referring to the school’s team of faculty and staff. “When you come on to our campus, you will feel the excitement and focus on learning we experience every day. This is truly a special moment, thank you to Jostens for making it happen.”

CHAT’s Epic Revamp was originally slated to debut at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, but the collaborative process between CHAT “staffulty” and Jostens representatives moved at a lightning pace. Surveys asked the school community to define what it means to be a CHAT Roadrunner, and research was conducted to capture the symbolism and characteristics of roadrunners.

CHAT then collaborated with a Jostens graphic designer to create the Roadrunner logos and visuals, cycling through more than two dozen iterations before finalizing the branding. A second Jostens designer worked with the school, developing mock-ups and measuring campus areas to determine optimal locations for new visuals.

After the rooftop reveal, parents and community members were invited to tour campus, assisted by CHAT students wearing new “Leave Your Mark” T-shirts. The tour concluded in the cafeteria for a second major reveal of a wraparound mural introducing four new Roadrunner mascots – Protector, Thriver, Hunter, and Adapter – each inspired by real roadrunner characteristics.

At the start of the school year, CHAT scholars were divided into four “houses” developed to foster cross-grade connections, relationships, and school spirit. Students received team shirts and participated in monthly house-building activities.

Originally named for Super Mario Brothers characters, the houses will now be led by the new Roadrunner mascots — each with its own color palette and personality.

The cafeteria celebration, funded by Jostens, also featured a live DJ, inspirational stories from Jostens Renaissance representatives, scholar recognitions, and a series of games, including a mattress race, Hungry Hungry Hippo, and musical chairs.

Jostens captured the excitement of the day and plans to debut a video recap at the upcoming Jostens Renaissance Global Conference in San Diego this June. Ten CHAT “staffulty” members will attend the conference with all expenses paid as part of the school’s Epic School Revamp.

Kindergarten teacher Shawna Corona, who has taught at CHAT since it opened more than 20 years ago and helped create the original audition video sent to Jostens, said she was overjoyed to see the transformation and, especially, the students’ enthusiasm and glee.

“The entire campus looks beautiful. There are smiles and laughter everywhere you look,” Corona said. “I am really impressed with the cafeteria. It is even better than I hoped it would be. I love the new Roadrunner mascots in all the different colors. We hope this will inspire our scholars to emulate the fearlessness, resilience, versatility, and loyalty of the roadrunner.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_REVAMP1: A group of Chaparral Academy of Technology (CHAT) students celebrate the reveal of a campus makeover on May 13. CHAT’s rebrand was made possible by its win in the second annual Jostens Epic School Revamp Contest, which came with a $150,000 prize package.

FUSD_REVAMP2: A group of Chaparral Academy of Technology students cheer before walking into a school rally in celebration of the reveal of the school’s makeover on May 13. The school’s revamp included new banner, murals, and wall wraps throughout campus.

FUSD_REVAMP3: Chaparral Academy of Technology Principal Tim McCaffrey, left, celebrates the reveal of the school’s rebrand with students during a school rally on May 13. The school revealed a new-look Roadrunner mascot and defined what it means to be a CHAT Roadrunner.

FUSD_REVAMP4: Chaparral Academy of Technology students received T-shirts with the school’s new motto “Leave Your Mark” as the school celebrated its campus makeover on May 13.