May 29, 2012 Grade 8

Good luck on your exams!  Please be sure to stop by the art room this week to pick up your work.  Unclaimed art will go on sale Monday June 4.  You don't want to have to buy back your work. 

May 29, 2012 Grades 6 and 7

This is a busy week for everyone and especially the sixth graders.  I hope the schedule will allow us some time in the art room to finish up some projects. 

Please remember to pick up your art work by this Friday June 1.  The Unclaimed Art sale begins June 4.  You don't want to have to buy back your work.

May 2, 2012 Grades 6 -7- 8

Congratulations!

The 2012 Discovery Week of the Arts was a celebration of your creative spirit.  From the poetry readings in the cafeteria (Pop…pop, pop…) to the Flash Masterpiece both Thursday and Friday, the opening of the art exhibit and the star studded Chronicles of Discovery Gala Friday night it was a week to remember.  Everyone participated in some way and most students in more than one way.  We had singing, dancing, art work, comedy, drama, literature all from Discovery students.   I am so very proud of all of you.

This week we will reflect on your art work and the work of others and restore the art room before we start new projects. Parents – art work will soon be headed for home. We will be selecting the “Best of Show” art work for our on line gallery at the Discovery website and the pieces to be framed for the permanent collection. 

 Good job students!  Well done! 

 See Mr. Fenn for your copy of the Chronicles of Discovery.

April 23, 2012 Grade 6-7-8

Ready - Set - Show!

The Walls are Waiting!

This is the Week of the Arts at Discovery School.

Student work is ready to hang in the library, art studio and computer lab.  Our students have worked all year and now for the last step in our projects – EXHIBIT!

A work of art is not complete until it has been viewed by another.

Students will be helping to hang the exhibit all week.  The exhibit opens Thursday after school until 5:00 pm and will continue throughout the day Friday until 7:00 pm and the start of the Chronicles of Discovery Gala.  Please come view the exhibit with your student and stay for the Gala.

Elementary School Safety Posters

Congratulations to students in grades 2 through 5 on completing their safety poster project. Watch for these posters during dismissal. Keeping our students safe is our first priority. The first objective of the poster project is to help students learn good safety habits.

April 16, 2012 Grade 6-7-8

This week all middle school students grades 6 - 7 - 8 are finishing their self portraits using contour line only. Students need an ultra fine permanent pen like a Sharpie or similar pen. Please bring it to class with you this week. Grade 8 students will complete the relief sculptures and grades 6 and 7 will also work on their library cushions and stools.

April 11, 2012 Grade 6-7-8

Grades 6-7-8 will set aside their projects in progress to complete their contour line self portrait in time for the Spring Art Exhibit. Then 6th and 7th graders will continue multi tasking to complete their library cushion covers and additional library stools.

Grade 8 students will add the finishing touches to the Mayan Relief sculptures and continue working on their drawing sampler project.

March 26, 2012 Grade 8

Making Mush! Papier-mache - toilet tissue + goo = mush! We are using the mush to fill the spaces between our Mayan relief sculptures. More Mayan designs will be added to complete the relief before we paint it to resemble an ancient work of art lost in the rainforest.

Students will also begin working on a self portrait project this week and continue working on their drawing "sampler".

March 26, 2012 Grade 6-7

Who is ready to sew? "I am!"

Measure, measue and measure again.

The next two weeks we will be working on “concurrent” lessons. All of the Library cushion covers have been cut, pinned and marked, ready for the sewing machine. While we are taking turns completing that project students will be working on a self portrait project. If they have an odd piece of time they may begin construction of four more newspaper construction stools for the library.

We have plenty of work to do in the art room before the Art Exhibit Opening Reception and Mural Dedication, April 26.

March 19, 2012 Grade 8

The relief sculptures have been attached to the display panels. Students will add papier-mache designs around and between the individual forms. Concurrently students will be working on the drawing sampler project.

March 19, 2012 Grade 6-7

This week students will work on their cushion covers. Some students still need to cut their fabric. Others will measure the pocket fold, pin and baste the side seams of their cushions. Then they will use the sewing machine to stitch the two side seams and corners.

March 12, 2012 Grade 8

The next two weeks we will be working on assembling the Mayan relief sculptures and on the Drawing Sampler. Students have a guide to the sampler project in their sketch books.

March 12, 2012 Grade 6-7

Last week students completed the preschool library table and stools. Thursday they presented the set to Mr. Carlos and the preschool students. After everyone took turns sitting on the chairs and listening to the Cat in the Hat. Then they gathered in small groups and sixth grade students read books to them until it was time for them to go home. Great job!

Everyone has completed their first objective in the sewing project. Next week we begin cutting the fabric and constructing the bright new covers for the library cushions.

March 5, 2012 Grade 8

This week we will continue the process of assembling the relief sculptures. They will begin a two dimensional design project. Students will need a fine line black permanent marker or pen.

March 5, 2012 Grade 6-7

Grade 6 and 7 students will complete the assembly of the preschool library table and stools. Thursday they will present them to Mr. Carlos and the Preschoolers.

They will continue their sewing project.
Our goals:
Learn to thread and operate two different models of sewing machines.

Be able to sew a straight seam.

Reverse the stitch – control the speed
Cut and assemble - hand baste stitch side seams.

Thanks again to Ms. Giles and Mrs Glenn Adams for loaning their machines for us to use. If you have a machine you can loan please let me know.

February 27, 2012 Grade 8

Grade eight students will share the botanical drawings they completed on their extended field studies last week.

We will begin joining the Mayan relief sculptures to create a large "stella" like form. We will answer the question about color. How should we treat the surface of the sculpture - should it look ancient and weather worn or should it be painted as the original sculptures were painted?

February 27, 2012 Grade 6-7

Grade six and seven will continue their unit on crafting. They will all learn to thread and use the two models of sewing machines. And then they will begin construction of covers for the library cushions.

They will continue to make newspaper "bricks" to be use in the making of stools for the library.

February 21, 2012 Grade 8

Grade 8 student will be learning about botanicals - the techniques used in documenting plant life. We will look at examples from the 1700's and make a simple "field book" for collecting information and images. They will use these on their field trip this week.

February 21, 2012 Grade 6-7

Students are continuing their newpaper constructions. They have completed two preschool library stools. This week they will also begin learning to use the sewing machine so that they may construct covers for the library AV room cushions.

February 13, 2012 Grade 8

Grade 8 students are continuing the papier-mache process to build up the relief designs on their Mayan inspired sculptures.

February 13, 2012 Grade 6 - 7

Grade 6 and 7 students have successfully completed a "newspaper stool" for the pre-school section of the library. They worked as a team to decide on the design and combined the folded newspaper modules to form the 14 inch high stool.

Next week we will continue to form newspaper modules and begin sewing covers for the library cushions. Everyone will learn how to thread and use a sewing machine and hand sew a basting stitch.

February 6, 2012 Grade 8

Grade 8 students continue to add form to their relief
sculptures based on Mayan stone work.
They are adding details and designs.

February 6, 2012 - Grade 6-7

Grade 6 and 7 students are working together to create“bricks” from newspapers. They are experimenting with “time-motion” concepts in manufacturing the “bricks”. Each student
is finding their best skill in the process and finding they best way to work as a team.

They will take time out to create a poster that reflects
what they remember from the presentation January 27.

January 30, 2012 Grade 8

Grade 8 students will continue to work on their relief sculpture based on authentic Mayan sculputres and murals.

January 30, 2012 Grades 6-7

Recycle or repurpose that is the question !

Grade 6 and 7 students will explore the ways newspaper can be repurposed. They will fold and combine papers to form useful objects. They will:

• find the most efficient ways to produce the paper "bricks".
• gain an understanding of "mass" production - time and motion management.
• find out what therbligs are and be able to identify them in the paper "brick" making process.

January 23, 2012 - Grade 8

Grade eight students will continue to construct the armature for their relief sculpture based on Mayan artifacts. All students have completed two layers of papier-mache on the face forms. This week they will attach the face form to the cardboard base for the extended design.

January 23, 2012 Grade 6-7

Building on the previous week's practice using sumi-e brush strokes to create paintings of monkeys and apes in "action", students will compose a still life bringing all of their skills together. They will paint a picture of what happens when a group of monkeys find a vase of flowers. What ever happens it is sure to be fun.