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Friday, November 6, 2015

It's A New Year!

There have been a lot of changes around the art room.

First of all, I am no longer the Lone Art Teacher at St Stephens! Brandy Watkins has hired on and will be teaching art to the kinder and lower elementary classes. I've known Brandy for years. We've worked and traveled together. I know Brandy to be an incredibly talented art teacher. I couldn't leave the kinder and lower elementary classes in better hands. I'll be teaching art to the upper elementary and beyond. Brandy and I will be teaching classes at the same time in the afternoons, so this has also cut the amount of work space in half. Last year we could spread out throughout the entire art space. Now we are limited to the Upper School portion of the upstairs.

Second, all upper elementary students will come to art on Wednesdays for 45 minutes. Changing their art day from Monday or Friday to Wednesday will make it possible for me to see them much more regularly. Last year it seemed every holiday and special event or program meant they missed a visual art opportunity. No more! I'll see them every single week for the duration of the school year.

Third, we now have a fine arts rotation for the IMYC 7th and 8th graders and the high school freshman. This allows these students to have an opportunity to experience visual art, music, and film making before they have to choose one area for their IB fine art.

Fourth, I'm teaching Pre-IB Visual Art 1, IB Visual Art Years 1 and 2 at the same time. Pre-IB/Visual Art 1 students will come to the art room Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for 45 minutes from 2:10 to 2:55. IB Visual Arts Years 1 and 2 will have a additional hour and a half on Wednesday afternoons from 2:10 to 3:45. This extra block of time will allow the IB students to focus on their Process Portfolios, Comparative Studies and projects for their Exhibitions.

Finally, I will be teaching one class, jewelry making for the lower elementary students, in the Fine Arts Academy. This class will be held after school on Mondays from 3:45 to 5:00. The class size is limited to 6 students to allow me to give each one my full attention.

Syllabi for all of my classes are now posted on the PlusPortal. I'll be posting links, homework, grades, etc. on the portal, so make sure to check in often.

I'm looking forward to a great, art filled year!


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