WOW! What a great day!

Today was a great first day! I had a wonderful time meeting all the students and seeing new smiling faces! I hope everyone enjoyed their time in art, and I can't wait to meet more new students again tomorrow!

ART Cycle 1

The first art cycle in levels K through five is going to look very similar. We will begin with some getting-to-know-you games on the first day and move on to learning about self-expression through art by creating an expressive name drawing. I hope to have many of these hung in the hallways for your perusal during the schoolwide open house on September 15th.

Secondly, we will learn about self-portraiture as we create our own self-portraits for the Square 1 Art fundraiser. You can visit the Square 1 Art website at http://www.square1art.com/. Be on the look out for order forms in October. These will make wonderful holiday gifts! You can also see a brief PowerPoint that I will be showing students at http://isite.lps.org/jwalker/NAEA09/attachments/Kselfportrait.ppt.

Can't wait for the creativity to begin!

Parent Letter: To Be Sent Home on Your Child's First Day of Art Class

Hello and welcome to a brand new school year!


I am excited to introduce myself to you as your child’s new art teacher at J.R. Briggs! My name is Kristi DiSalle, and you may recognize me from Overlook Middle School, where I have been teaching for the last five years. I grew up in Ashburnham and attended Briggs, having Mrs. Richard as an art teacher those many years ago. Her retirement last year offered me the opportunity to move to the lower level and teach a discipline I have loved for as long as I can remember.

I am looking forward to sharing your child’s accomplishments in art with you this year. To assist in our communication, I have created a blog where I will post images and updates for your perusal. Please feel free to post comments and questions when you visit! Your kids will love them!　

Your child will bring home much of their art throughout the school year. This is a special occasion for them! Each child’s artwork is unique, a special part of him or her. Please take a moment to share the art with your child. Ask your child to tell you about his/her art. After talking together, find a special place to hang it for the family to see, such as on a door or refrigerator. This will help build your child’s self-esteem, as art is a very personal expression for kids.

 

Lastly, I have attached a few questions for you answer, in order to provide me with a better picture of your child’s relationship with art. Please complete them at your leisure, and return with the sketchbook during our next cycle. Again, I am so thrilled to be working with your children and look forward to a wonderfully creative year!

Child’s Name: _______________________________
Grade/Class: _______________________________

What kinds of artwork does your child do at home? ______________________________________
Where in your home does your child do artwork?______________________________________
Where in your home do you display your child’s artwork?______________________________________
Is there artwork by other people on display in your home?______________________________________
Has your family recently visited children’s museums, craft shows, or other places where art is displayed?______________________________________
Would you be interested in sharing any artwork that you or family members have done or could you demonstrate an art technique to the children?______________________________________
Would you be interested in volunteering in the art classroom?____________________________________

Thank you so much for your time and support!
Sincerely,
Mrs. DiSalle　

Only one week to go!

One week from today teachers will be excitedly gathering and planning for the up and coming year! I can feel the energy buzzing already! Looking forward to meeting you all in eleven days!

September is LINE month!

Each month in art class will have a different focus relating to the Elements and Principals of Design. For the month of September, all levels will learn about line. For the kindergarten students, this is a fun study of squiggly vs. straight or zigzag. Older students, however, will have to opporunity to learn how line creates mood, depth, and texture.

Welcome to Art!

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer and are excited for a brand new year! Visit this blog regularly to see what is happening in art class! You may even see some famous little artists you recognize!