Back to School, 2016-2017!

Witness me getting smart, after 20+ years of teaching...

From this, May 2016:

Students spent the last few weeks of school creating collaborative murals to welcome them back to school. The murals were either an extension of a lesson or metaphor based.

These were rolled up, placed in plastic bags and stored in my closet over the summer break. We even had major roof leaks and they were fine.

1st grade is "Floating to 2nd grade!"

1st grade lesson on depth and transparency

Kinder is "Swimming to 1st grade!" Gel markers and imagination.

...last week of school, June 2016:

To this, Back to School, August 2016!

19 Bulletin Boards are covered! Ready for students on Monday!

Quick display promoting our Specials programs. Our Librarian aide did it for us.
 I have 3 display cases.

If you already do something awesome like this, go ahead and roll your eyes. I deserve it. 20 years it took me to figure this out. If not, now you know what to do during the last few weeks of school ;)

Oh, and in case you are wondering from my last post...this summer I read 14 books, finished 2 major oil paintings and started a new painting series (!!!SO EXCITED!!!), caught up on all the great TV shows (Netflix-"Stranger Things", omg), belted out the soundtrack to "Hamilton" and finally learned how to take a delicious nap. Blissful.

Happy Back to School for those starting now in August! If you start after Labor Day...enjoy the break and have a nap for me.

Shout out to an awesome, way cool student!

 I have to give a shout out to this 5th grader, Victor, who has been coming in a couple times a week during recess to design our latest entryway mural installation.

It says, "Welcome to Donald, the home of the Dolphins"

The left side has this awesome dolphin and the right side is a drawing of our school. Victor is completely self directed. This is all him. I have just pretty much stayed out of his way!

I am going to have the other 5th graders in the art club help him with painting. It is a big job.

Last year's Art Club painted these 2 way cool murals, based on student artwork:

When finished, I think I will get the faculty and students to create ceramic tiles and dolphins. I can use those for a mosaic border, to cover that blue and tie it all together.

Thank you Victor! You are the BOMB!