Summer Vacay Adventure :)

 I just got back from my 16 day summer vacation about a week ago.  It was an adventure and experience of a lifetime!  I ventured to Ireland, North Wales, Scotland, and England with a tour group that consisted of some teachers, students, and parents from my school along with several other small groups from the US just like ours.  The 50-some of us traveled together with a tour guide and many scheduled events.  It was a blast!  Although I cannot upload the 900 photos I took, I shall try my best to pick/choose a few of my favorite highlights of the trip!  Sweet summertime! :)

The Cliffs of Moher, near Kilarney - County Clare, Ireland

View on the Ring of Kerry- Ireland

Blarney Castle - Ireland

At the Rock of Cashel - Ireland

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Dublin, Ireland

Conwy, North Wales

Conwy Castle, North Wales

Poppies with a buzzing bee - At William Wordsworth's Cottage, Rydal Mount

On our way to Edinburgh, Scotland, we stopped in a small town,
Earlston to see the Olympic Torch - awesome experience!

York Minister - York, England

Anne Hathaway's Cottage (Shakespeare's wife)

Roman Bath's - Bath, England

Stonehenge

London Eye - London, England

Big Ben & British Parliament - London, England

Origami Flowers with 1st Grade

I found this idea on Pinterest...yay for Pinterest!!! :)

I was a little nervous to try this with my 1st graders, but loved the idea of a fun spring project.  Origami can be very involved and complicated, but these folds weren't too tricky.  However, I was unsure how I would be able to get this project done with 15 1st graders in 30 minutes.  But the challenge was a success!

My 1st graders are quite a challenging group.  Many have low motor skills and behavior issues.  They are difficult to work with on most days.  I have 2 classes of 1st graders, both with about 15 students in each class.  Projects are either done in 30 minutes or last 1-2 weeks for my K-3rd graders.  My older elementary students usually work 2-4 weeks or so on projects.  Anyway I have 1st grade right away on Monday mornings...definitely not the most ideal time but I make it work.  One class comes and then I have a fast and furious 5 minute clean-up/prep time before the next 1st grade group comes in.  It gets a little crazy at times!!!

For this origami project I focused with small groups of 4-5 at a time.  By doing this I was able to work with each student and give them the help they needed on 1 or 2 of the trickier folds.  While I was working with 1 group, the other 2 groups were working on a free draw activity.  After their flower bud was folded, they got into my scrap paper and cut a stem and leaves for their flower.  Working with a small group was the only way this project was successful in 30 minutes.  This was a good idea but by the time I got to the 3rd group there was about 5 minutes of class left!  It was a little hectic and by the time I finished with 2 classes of 1st grade I was a bit frazzled.  But...the outcome was awesome and the compliments I received were wonderful!  Many couldn't believe that my 1st graders made these! :)

High School Paintings

My high school students spent about 4-5 weeks this semester working on large paintings.  They painted on 18X24 inch canvas board.  I had very few requirements for this assignment that included a grid drawing of a photograph.  The photograph had to be a photograph found on the computer of something that was real...meaning no graphic design/cartoons, etc.  As they painted, they were matching the colors in the photo, so color was a factor on their photograph search.  I approved all photos before drawing and painting began, and although these "rules" I gave above were the parameters of the assignment I allowed for some interpretation/bending of the requirements for creative purposes.

Each of the photographs my students chose to work from seemed to fit their personalities and that was cool to watch them choose and execute their idea!  Here are a few of my favorites.  I chose these not because of who did them or the subject matter, but the quality of work done by my students.  It was hard to choose just some of them because they were all very good!

Some students chose to add a gloss medium after they finished
and this affected the flash in some photographs I took.

Love the idea of this one!

 

This student said each bird represented each of her friends
and I believe she was the green one :)

Yummy!

One of my students is obsessed with golf and I have seen
a lot of golfing inspired art produced by him

Elementary Art Show

I'm way behind on my posts if I am doing them in a chronological order.  But then I will have more to share with you during the summer.  It has been a crazy semester...and there are only 3 days left!!!

About a month ago, I was preparing for our annual elementary art show.  It was paired up with the 1st-3rd grade musical program, which was great to bring in plenty of families.
The theme this year was Around the World and into Outer Space.  Here are a few photos:

1st Grade - Chinese Panda Bears, Rocket ships, Star, Planets

4th Grade - Native American inspired Kachinas

JH - State Post Card Collection

5th Grade - African Animals and Chinese Bamboo Scrolls

JH - Clay Masks and Modernized Clay Russian Nesting Dolls

3rd Grade - Dream Catchers

3rd Grade - Space Ships

Kindergarten - Egyptian Pyramids/Camels, Antarctica Penguins,
Australian Koalas, Kangaroos, & Saltwater Crocodiles

These are just a few of the projects we did for this theme.  I felt that this theme was very broad and we just touched the surface of what could be done.  We had a great turn out with tons of parent support!  It was a great night!

JH & HS Clay Masks

My postings have been few and far between lately because this semester has been CRAZY busy!  A while ago my JH and HS students created clay masks.  This was a basic slab mask that used newspaper to hold the form.  Students added features, carved in designs, etc. to make each mask their own.  Here are some results:

Junior High:

The mask on the left received a medal at our JH league art show :)

High School:

This "Old Man" mask was the only one that broke in the kiln but most
pieces were salvageable and I think it adds to its character :)

This is one of the lightest, thinnest clay pieces I have seen.
It is incredibly light-weight but sturdy.

Outdoor fun!

With the great spring weather, I've been itching to be outside just as much as my students.  Two days ago I took my 4th graders outside for a sidewalk chalk project.  It was beautiful outside and the kids had a lot of fun!

Here are a few pictures that they drew:

Afterward they were allowed to do a free draw chalk in another sidewalk square.  Being outside at this time of the year helps in the craziness that the end of of the school year creates.  That summertime itch sure is growing in all of my students and we have one month left!

Prom

Somehow at the end of last year I got roped into taking the place of a teacher who was leaving, in her duties as class sponsor.  At our high school, the sponsor stays with the same class from Freshman year until they graduate.  I was just jumping in and somehow the timing was just right and I landed right into Prom planning year.  The class already had most of the money we needed raised through various fundraisers and such prior to this year, so most of that work had already been done for me.  However, planning Prom is no small task, especially when I am only in the high school building for 3 hours a day and I teach during that time.  Being between 2 buildings and teaching like normal on top of prom was quite the challenge.
We started planning and chose a theme at the end of September and started having meetings shortly after that until it was Prom time.  Prom was early on the calendar this year and was on March 24th.  I am SO glad it is over and out of the way!
For my first year in charge of a class and having never planned a prom before, it went VERY well.  Yes there were bumps in the road and issues to be worked out but my class of kids were GREAT and such hard workers!
Our Prom theme was based on Titanic and officially called "An Evening on the High Seas".

I know many schools have their own prom traditions.  We have a Promenade in our auditorium so that all parents and the public can see all of the couples and take photos.  It's sort of like a fashion show in a sense where each couple is announced, they come out on stage and smile for the camera before walking off.  Here is how we decorated our auditorium for Promenade:

Here are a few pictures of how we transformed our commons/eating area into Prom:

This black ship was originally my idea.  Some of them were skeptical at first,
but ended up being executed by a handful of my girls. 
When it was all done, they were SO PROUD of how it turned out. 
I made sure they took pictures by it so they would be able to remember forever! :)

We have a dinner catered for all students before the dance begins,
so we had tablecloths, and decorations and all.

Although it was a long and exhausting experience, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  My kids took ownership in the ideas and execution of everything and I just helped to get it all done.  Because they took ownership in it, they believed in it and wanted it to look good.  With the time we had to get everything done with our state basketball tournament and spring break taking place the 2 weeks prior to Prom, it all turned out so well.  I am SO proud of my kids and all of the work they accomplished!  Overall everyone had a blast and it was GREAT!