2nd Grade Explore symmetrical designs (Lipshie)

2nd Graders (and the 1/2 combo class) are exploring symmetry using mirrors. We looked at various ancient containers that had symmetry in their design. Then they were given jar-shaped papers to design. The children became utterly fascinated by the mirrors (as you can see from the pictures).

Once done, children made other unplanned discoveries. They learned that many mirrors facing each other give you an amazing set of repetitions.
hey! a 360 degree mirror!!
What do you see?
This child even made a symmetrical image of her own name!

Kindergarteners Create boxes

Boxes, boxes, boxes. Kindergarteners have been making boxes for this coming unit. Next, children will use their box-making skills to make houses.

5th Grade Wesrward Expansion (peak at some new finished figurines)

For being only about 5-7 inches these figurines are amazingly filled with character.

Hair, Hair Everywhere

3rd Grade puppets waiting for their hair to set. Next week we will dress and add eyes, nose, mouths to these puppets. These "Persephone" puppets already have their unique personality and they are not yet done. Check back later to see them become real.

These are made from plastic cups, rolled up magazine paper rolled into balls, acrylic silver paint, yarn.

Kids began by adding rows of hair at the bottom of the back of the head and adding new rows above each row.

Check out these locks! Parents have donated all this yarn and we need more for after vacation when the rest of the 3rd graders add hair to their puppets. I could go and buy yarn. But the donated yarn is always much more varied and interesting. Thanks Murch parents!

MOST needed Recycled "TRASH TO TREASURE" Items for the NEW YEAR

** Newspapers

** Lids of any kind

** Toilet paper tubes

** Paper Towel Tubes

** Magazines

** Empty tape rolls of any kind (masking, clear tape, etc)

** shoe boxes (any kind)

** ribbons

** YARN of any kind (I am all out)

** board books

** old canvases

** fake plants

** broke toy pieces

** yogurt cups

** Meat trays

Update on After School Art Series

The next art series which will NOT begin until Mid-March of 2011 (not January as posted in the newsletter) will be all about storytelling and making simple stories come alive through acting and puppetry and general play-based-performances (Open to Kindergarten and 1^st graders). Registration for that will not be available until about mid-February and it will be online registration only. In order to be fair to all families who have not yet had a chance to participate in the after school art program it will again be purely through a system of 'first-come-first-served' basis. So please sign up (look to your left) to get e-mail reminders whenever I post on the art blog so that you get the news the minute it’s posted in February. I wish I could close myself and serve the entire community, but 20 slots per session, once a week for the whole year is all I can offer right now while my kiddies are young.

A note to all parents who want their kids in the next after school art session that begins Mid-March 2011. I have been receiving dozens of requests for space reservations for the next afterschool art program in March 2011. Although I feel incredibly humbled and deeply honored to see such interest in me and my programs, I am not able to reserve any spots at this time. I would like to keep this program open to as many families as possible and I believe that keeping it a truly democratic process is the only way to approach the process. I am working on coming up with some 1-time unique workshops for the near future as well as setting up possible for-profit art intensives for this summer. The best way to be informed of such opportunities is to sign up through my blog to get e-mail updates everytime I post.

Clay Creations (Not YET Done) by Ms. McCoy's Class

Can't wait to see the final images of these gingerbread clay creations by Ms. McCoy's class. The houses are not yet painted and will be done and ready to go home next week. You too can do gingerbread homes from home by using self-drying clay, a butter knife, acrylic paint and a small detail brush.

5th Graders Explore Creating with Clay

Check out these mouth-watering clay creations by Ms. Otten's class. You too can do this at home with self-drying clay, acrylic paint, and a small detail brush.

Kindergarten Persephone Puppets Samples

These are samples of out Persephone puppets. I will try come in the classes next week or after vacation and retell the story using their puppets.

Westward Expansion 5" Tall Figurines

These are some of the finished figures of the important figures in the Westward Expansion. A few will be on display next week in the sculpture case in the lobby.

Warm colors used to create our landscapes

I must say...I LOOOVE my ELMO. using this amazing projector I was able to project myself mixing colors in the color wheel using only the 3 primaries. The ELMO was brought exclusively for the art department at Murch through funds from the HSA.

This is a picture of the projected images I shared with the kids.

Here are kids using only red, white and yellow to create a very intense warm-colored sky.

The trees were added a class later. Kids looked at real images of bare trees and noticed the varying widths in the lines they say in these trees.
Here is a close-up of my color wheel. I used my ELMO to demonstrate live how these colors are created using cray pas. I also used white to show how children could create lighter versions of their warm colors.
Children using cray pas to create their landscapes.

A peak in the everchanging art studio at Murch

I LOVE my huge shelf. Everything has its place.

My latest amazing new tools is my new ELMO. I can project images in books, as well as detailed enlarged views of my explorations in paints, clay and other media.

I love boxes. This box hold 24 almost-done Persephone puppets. They are waiting to have their eyes glued on, and their noses, mouths and shoes colored in with markers. During our last class we added hair, so during the next class the puppets will either get their hair trimmed or braided.
In this box you find half-way done puppets created by 3rd graders. These need to be dressed and detailed. For this play children are going to writing their own words based on a Greek Myth they heard in class.

2nd finished 2nd grade quilt-Stephens (2nd Grade)

You can view this new quilt in the lobby of the school. Kids in Ms. Stephen's class traced, cut, decorated and glued the diamonds on this sheet. A huge thank you to parents who donated varied fabrics to make this quilt especially beautiful and colorful.

Humble beginnings of our Kindergarten puppets

Kindergarteners were introduced to the story of Persephone. Children then discussed the characters in the story and chose one character to depict for their puppet. Puppets begin will rolled paper that will then be painted, dressed and detailed. Please check back in a week to see how this project progresses.

Children began painting their puppets this week. We discussed the unifying affect of painting the entire the puppet one color.
Without the kind donations of magazines by the parents this project would not be possible.

2nd Grade Quilts

2nd graders (and the 1/2 combo class) have been working on creating a quilt. Children first used paper diamonds to explore different ways in which diamonds can come together to make an interesting design. Children then used patterns to trace and then cut out fabric diamonds. Next, children used sharpies to individualize each diamond. During the last class in this lesson, children glued their diamonds in the chosen design.

You can view 2 of the 4 quilts in the lobby of the school. Enjoy.
This project was made possible by the generous donations of varied fabrics from parents. Thanks parents.