Fun return from Spring Break!

I hope everyone enjoyed their break!  We started the week off with an Earth Day Unity Day project of decorating grocery bags for Topway!  My group had some extra time so we made kazoos out of wax paper and cut paper towel rolls!

Our fourth grade students have been working in out glass fusing unit (my favorite)!  It's so much fun to come open the kiln after it's cooled overnight!

Students will be able to pick up their glass pieces (if they chose to create one) at the art show on May 5th from 5-7pm.  Aren't they beautiful?

NAEA National Convention

This past week, I was able to attend the NAEA National Confernce in Chicago with the entire Pecatonica School District Art Department!  It was so reaffirming in how our students are experiencing art in the Dragonfly Studio! 

I also made a couple new friends in the comic convention in McCormick Place!

This is Cassie Stephens blogger, "What the Art Teacher Wore."  She's famous in my world!

Rockford Art Museum 75th Young Artist Show

Five students at Pecatonica Elementary will have their artworks on display at the Rockford Art Museum's 75th Young Artist Show.  The show opening is on Sunday, April 10th from 1-3pm.  The 75th Young Artist Show runs through May 8.

Pictured (left to right):  Fiona Handy, Emma Daly, Jaxon Diedrich, Tyler Bird and Morgan Greenberg

We also have a new date set for our elementary school art show!  

May 5th from 5-7pm

Leather Stamping Old School Style

Third and fourth grade students have been experiencing leather stamping, thanks to some generous donations a couple years ago!  

Many are so engaged they didn't want to stop for a photo!

Kindergarten friends had stations set up for making aliens after listening to Aliens Love Underpants.  

This week we will cut up our painted papers! 

Due to the announcement of the 5th Grade Wax Museum and being a parent to a 5th grader on April 28th, we will be rescheduling the Art Show to another night.  I will post it as soon as Mrs. Brockway, Mrs. Hickman and I can confirm a new date.  Thanks for your understanding!

Author Day Fun!

Last Wednesday, the students spent the morning in a rotation of activities on fractured fairy tales.  These are known fairy tales, but with a different spin or twist.  

The Specialist teachers had the story,  The True Story of the Three Pigs (from the wolf's perspective).  This whole huff and puff was just a misunderstanding as he had a cold and was simply looking to borrow a cup of sugar.  The children wrote stories about why the wolf should go free and drew a picture in the gym.

WOW Piece #2 & Art Show

Good afternoon!  Children in grades 1-4 have been working hard on completing W.O.W. piece #2 during art classes.  These pieces will be for our art show on April 28th from 5-7pm.  W.O.W. piece #2 can be an artwork of their choosing (does not have to be a game or toy this year).  The students need to have a typed artist statement with their artwork including: their name, teacher’s name, title of artwork, how it was made, their favorite part of their work and how they could make it even better.  This can be a short paragraph that we will attach to their artwork in class.  Students can work on the computers during class time, but I only have two student computers.  If you need me to print their artist statement, please email or share the document to me by March 10th.  Completed W.O.W. piece 2 is due March 18th.  Kindergarten students will complete an artwork in class for the art show and will not be required to complete an artist statement.

Some children have brought home written artist statements from class to help them remember what they need to include.  I do not need these back once I receive the typed paragraph.

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!