May is flying by fast!

Last week, kindergarteners ate their artwork!  This is one of my favorite annual projects where students create the

color wheel out of frosting and vanilla wafers and then eat it up!

We also used up our open glue bottles to make Flubber with grades 1 and 2!  Remember to be responsible with your Flubber!

We installed the Buddy Bench on the playground!

Plus two of the three 4th grade classes walked down to the Blacksmith Studio for a demonstration from Mr. D.

Friday was Track & Field day!  Thanks to Mrs. Peterson for all your work organizing this annual event!

Now it comes time to say goodbye to some amazing kids.  It has been my pleasure being your elementary (and some pre-school!) art teacher.  You are each special and wonderful in your own ways.  I cannot wait to see where life takes you!

Selfie fun!  

Hope everyone has a wonderful summer! 

Masks

I love these boys!  They are exploring the art of mask making together!  

When children are given the opportunity to take charge of their learning, amazing things take shape!  Students become more confident in their decision making skills and quickly learn there can be many outcomes to a situation.  The level of engagement is amazing.  My next step is to encourage them to make them again using different materials.  How could you make it better?  

What a fabulous week!

We started the week with a bang!  There were approximately 270 WOW pieces due on Monday.  My crews helped organize and tag all artworks for the show Tuesday evening.  A huge shout out to Mrs. VandeVoorde, Mrs. Brandenburg's fourth grade class, and Mrs. Laue's first grade class  for their help in transport and set up!  Thanks to our teachers for their patience and understanding, and assistance with organization of pieces as it is a huge task!   Thank you to Miss Weimer for helping with the cookies (provided as a donation from Mrs. Bell) table and Mrs. Brockway for working the Yuda Bands table.  There were other staff that gave help where needed that is so appreciated!  Thanks to our amazing families for creating with your children and having a wonderful involvement in the fine arts!  Your support of choice based art education has been such a rewarding experience.  Attendance was amazing and our Yuda Band table remained busy all evening with over 70 sales in two hours!  

Love our kindergarten dancing cows!   We  will begin a transition to more choice based lessons over the next few weeks.  I am excited to see what new ideas they will bring to studio!

This first grader's recycled robot golf was a very popular attraction!

Then, on Wednesday, we hosted WREX-13's Project Tornado for all our third and fourth graders!  

These girls took their weather "homework" from Miss Morgan very seriously!  

Emma and I delivered the 30 fleece tie blankets and braided ropes to Noah's Ark today and hung our 4th graders display (for the kids that chose to participate).  They were amazed at our students skills!  

These artworks were also photographed and uploaded to student's Artsonia accounts!

Mrs. Wanke's Monster exchange & Yuda Bands

Second grade students in Mrs. Wanke's class were so excited to see their monsters the high school studio art student built out of clay!  Our students drew pictures and wrote stories about their monsters for the high school students to interpret.  They were nothing short of AMAZING!

Not to fear, more Yuda Bands are on their way!  Our response has been so wonderful!  We have fully funded one student in Guatemala to attend high school for one year and almost have a second student fully sponsored!  For every 175 bands sold, we fund one student to attend high school for one year.  Children in Guatemala receive public education through 8th grade.  High schools are private and very expensive to attend.  Pecatonica families are helping change children's lives across the globe!

aYuda means to help or aid in Spanish.  The bracelets are made of leather and coconut in Guatemala and shipped to the U.S.

WOW Piece #3 Due Monday (Grades 1-4)! Art show Tuesday 5-7!

Just a reminder, WOW Piece #3 is due Monday.  Here is from March 19th's blog entry:

Students in grades 1-4 should be working on either a toy or a game for the art show with support from home.  These pieces will be for our art show and must include a typed artist statement.  An artist statement includes the student's name, grade level, teacher, a little bit about what their artwork is, how it was made, their favorite part(s) and how they could make their piece even better.  WOW piece #3 is due April 27th for the art show on the 28th.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Art Show on Tuesday at the Elementary from 5-7!

Busy week!

The opening for the 74th Young Artist Show in Rockford was last Sunday!  It was great to see so many families come out to see their child's artwork.  PES has 5 works on display through May 17th.  Tuesday's are free days at the museum!

Even Jordyn's teacher, Miss Wiemer came to support her!

Wednesday we had our monthly RAOK meeting after school.  Students were busy making more tie blankets, but if you notice these are smaller.  That's because they are for the animals at Noah's Ark Animal Sancutary.  PES 4th graders will have artwork displayed at Noah's Ark for the first two weeks in May!  Talk to your child to see if they chose to participate!

On Thursday, I returned to the studio from teaching PE to find I was a recipient of an act of kindness from Mrs. Brandenburg's class!  It warmed my heart to read the notes from students!

Friday rounded out the week with 4th grade Kindness Club members helping with spring clean up at the elementary school garden.  Thank you, Mrs. VandeVoorde for all your hard work to teach our kids about caring for our earth and making our school beautiful!

Enjoy your weekend!