Printmaking is so much fun!

Students in grades 1-4 have been exploring the art of printmaking on both Gelli plates (3rd & 4th grades) and on recycled foam plates (1st & 2nd grades). Students were asked to each start on WOW Piece 2 this week, which is due March 18th.  Students are required to type a paragraph artist statement and may take a form home to help them (it was also sent home the first week of school).  WOW Piece 2 is for our art show at the end of April.

Students in Miss Hoffman's class were all working hard this week! 

She's been working on this rabbit coming out of a hat for weeks!  Love when students bring an idea and supplies!  We brainstormed together and it's coming along beautifully!

Fiber artists enjoy sitting at the Creation Station (old Culver's booth donated this past summer).

Even with her dominant arm in a sling, she brought an idea to make an aquarium out of a cookie tray and got to work!

Mrs. Smallwood's class made a large banner in honor of The Great Kindness Challenge!  Love!

Silly pictures are the best!

Welcome to The Great Kindness Challenge Week!

Today was kick kindness into gear by wearing mis-matched shoes and/or socks!

Also every student is adding a handprint to a large canvas that will be completed on Friday to hang in the school!  Thanks to my 4th grade friend Ali for taking these awesome pictures today!

Teachers and staff greeted students this morning at each entrance in a "Kindness Tunnel!"  Video on that to come later.

Tomorrow is, "I dream of kindness."  PJ Day!  

Not one, but two studios opened this week! Happy 2016!

This week we opened both the Digital Arts and 3D Studios in grades 1-4.  

Ayden shared a website I added to our Symbaloo!  It's been a new favorite!

Those levels of multi-disciplinary engagement are amazing!

Welcome 2016!

This week we discussed and brainstormed goals for the second half of the school year.  Everyone wants to earn opening more studios!

Kindergarten classes listened to What Do You Do With an Idea?  The children thought of ideas of how they could change the world.  They drew their ideas and then painted over the crayons with watercolors.  This was some of their first time painting with watercolors and they did awesome!

A wild week before Christmas!

My PE classes learned a new game, Star Wars!  They loved it!

On Tuesday morning, Sven the Kindness Elf visited the studio!  Students decided to make a poster for Ms. Durand thanking her for teaching them music.

On Wednesday, RAOK Club bagged over 1,000 new and gently used stuffed animals for police officers to give to children in need.  Bags included notes of kindness from our students.

Officer Stanley from Winnebago County joined in stuffing bags with the children.

On Friday, these girls gave up their recess time to make a blanket for Mrs. Bardell's husband!  

We also are experimenting with a new "Smelling Studio."  Students may gently rub one herb leaf per class period and enjoy the smell to themselves.  The children are really into it!

Winter Celebration!

Wow!  Today was fun!  We rotated grade levels and specialists had relay races in the gym!

Let's decorate the tree!

Human lights chain!

Let's waddle like penguins!

The smiles were amazing today!  

Busy days finishing our first WOW pieces of the school year!

The following pictures were all taken during one class period.  So many busy artists in action today.  WOW piece 1 is due next Friday, December 18th.

Here you see students reflecting on each other's artworks and collaborating on their artist statements to check for understanding.

We have circle weaving!

Monsters and tessellation spiders!

And this little painter, who made beautiful paintings for many of his classmates today!  Fantastic brush strokes!  Art is fabulous when we can have choice in mediums.