September Art Update

Hello Westlawn families! I am so glad you stopped by the Westlawn Art Blog for the first Art Update of the school year!

Before we get into pictures and descriptions from each grade level, here is an update on the fish project from last school year...

The much anticipated fish mural at the St. Paul's Fish Market has been completed and is up for all to see! I first visited the fish market at the end of August and was SO excited to see all of the students beautiful artwork on display! A handful of students have mentioned to me that they have visited and even found their fish on the wall in the "grouper" room. If you have not had a chance to go, I hope you can make it at some point. Even the staff at the Fish Market commented on how wonderful the display is and how much their customers enjoy looking at the one of a kind art pieces. Way to go Westlawn Dolphins (and other Cedarburg Elementary art students)!

For our first art project or the school year, all Westlawn students (5K-5th grade) took part in a collaborative art display that fit the theme of this school year... GROWING. In morning pods, the students learned about characteristics of a Marigold flower, which served as a great analogy for how we want to act as learners and people of good character.

Each grade level was given a mini theme to fit the BIGGER theme of GROWING. Prior to the art making process, the students got inspired by reading a book by Lois Ehlert (Milwaukee author and artist). The kinders and first grade students read "Planting a Rainbow" which showed the process of planting and nurturing flowers in order to help them grow. The book contained a variety of colorful flowers that Ehlert made using her collage technique. 2nd-5th grade students read the book "Scraps" which gave the students an inside look to Ehlert's childhood, her sources of inspiration, and the creative thought process behind her art making and book making. The older students especially enjoyed this book since it reminded them to take risks and enjoy the process of art making, just as much as the final product.

Following the reading and viewing of Lois Ehlert's books, the students started their own art making process for our Collaborative Westlawn Garden!

Westlawn Garden Collaborative Art Display

Kindergarten artists enjoyed making Fingerprint Hyacinths! The students first drew the stem and leaves using green crayon and then used their one of a kind artist tool, their finger print, to make the petals on the flower! We talked about placing the petals close together and making many rows so that the flower looked full and plump! The students then practiced their cutting skills once the paint was dry. A fun and fairly simple process for their first project :)
The students also spent two art classes exploring the Free Choice Art Station... an important and favorite feature in the art room! On occasion, students will be able to enjoy the Free Choice Art Station by choosing their own art activity. Over the two classes, they learned what art materials and activities were available for Free Choice Art and how to use them. They had a lot of fun at the stations and wish they could have spent more time at each one!

1st grade artists had the opportunity to experience a super fun and unique art technique of bubble printing for their Bubble Print Hydrangeas! The students began the project by painting a piece of paper with different shades of greens. They then cut out a stem and leaves, and added details with ultra fine sharpie, after the paint was dry. For the hydrangea prints, the students used a straw to blow bubbles into a mixture of paint, printing ink, dish soap, and water. Once they filled the plate with lots of bubbles, the students took their paper circle and gently pressed it over the bubbles to create a print. The prints didn't always come out perfectly the first time, so we persevered and tried again until we got it right. To complete the project, we cut out our circles to resemble the look of a hydrangea and glued on the stem and leaves!

2nd grade artists continued with the theme of Marigolds by making French Marigold Flowers! Like the first grade students, the 2nd graders painted the leaves and stem with a variety of greens which they later cut out and glued together on a new piece of paper. The petals were the most fun to make since the students showed the technique of value change (gradation) by gradually changing from one color to another. This was easier said than done, but the students enjoyed the process. Once the petals were cut we arranged them in a radial pattern and glued them down. Lastly, the students crumpled up a small piece of colored tissue paper to add to the center of their flowers.

3rd grade artists had the chance to work with felt for their first art project! Their Felt Flowers turned out SO cool and attracted a lot of attention once the display was out up in the hallway! The students were given the challenge of making their own templates for their flower rather than tracing ones that were premade for them. They needed to understand CONTRAST, in the flower designs, size, and colors. Once their flower designs were approved, they traced, cut, and glued their pieces together, with a button of their choice on top. Lastly, the students added leaves (and a stem if they wished) to complete their one of a kind flowers!

4th grade artists learned how to make art like Lois Ehlert for their Lois Ehlert Inspired Flowers! This was definitely not easy for all students, as the "collage art technique" takes time, planning, and patience. Unlike drawing and painting a two dimensional flower, the collage making process involves painting a variety of papers and cutting and gluing the pieces together to resemble the desired subject. Once the students got a hang of the technique they really seemed to enjoy it and the final products were so fantastic! My favorite part of the project was the creative freedom the students had to choose their own flower (real or make believe). The creativity, problem solving, and risk taking brought a huge smile to my face!! Way to go 4th grade! What a creative and fun group of students!

5th grade artists were given the challenge of making Creatures or 3-D Flowers for our collaborative art display! Although some students would jump at the chance to have total creative freedom in making a one of a kind project, it is also a greater challenge to take risks and essentially "figure it out on your own." Of course, I made a couple examples of creatures and 3-D flowers, while also providing lots of visuals, but I really wanted the students to be creative, take risks, and guide their own art making process. I will be honest and say I was nervous to do this because it's hard to watch students struggle (if they lack motivation and direction), BUT I was pleasantly surprised to see that EVERY student created a project that was meaningful to them and fit their level of artistic ability. Yahoo! SO proud of you 5th graders! The students were ALSO excited to see what they were able to create. I think the message Lois Ehlert gave in her book "Scraps" was more effective than I thought it would be :)

Westlawn 5th graders ALSO had the privilege of taking an art and music field trip to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra AND the Milwaukee Art Museum! This is certainly a yearly highlight for Mrs. Wilson and myself and this year was no exception. What a NEAT opportunity for students to be exposed to the arts OUTSIDE of school. They saw and heard a lot on the trip that will hopefully inspire them and give them a greater appreciation for art and music, even if they don't choose that career path for themself. In preparation for the field trip, the 5th graders learned art museum etiquette as well as ways to talk about art in a meaningful and educated manner. They were introduced to the seven Elements and seven Principles of art, which are connected to ALL art. (The elements are: line, shape, color, value, texture, space, and form. The principles are: balance, contrast, emphasis, pattern, unity, movement, and rhythm).

Westlawn 5th Grade students on the Art and Music Field Trip!

All students (grades 5K-5th grade) are now starting to create SKETCHBOOKS, which will be used throughout the school year. Stay tuned for more pictures and description on that, and MORE, at the beginning of November!

See you then!

May/June Art Update!

Thanks for stopping by the Westlawn Art Blog one last time for the 2018-2019 school year!

Although the artwork has already been sent home (and hopefully it made it home safely) I figured it would be nice to see what the Westlawn artists were up to during the month of May and the very beginning of June.

Also... an update on the fish artwork at the St.Paul's Fish Market... It is my understanding that the fish display should be completed in the next 2-3 weeks. I will send out an email once I hear that the display is up and ready to see! I can't wait to go myself... maybe I'll see you there! So stay tuned on that. I know it was an enormous undertaking and those displays take a while to complete.

During the month of May/June...

5th grade artists completed their Clay Cake Slices just in time for the end of the year! The project is certainly a favorite and every cake turns out so unique AND appealing! The students spent many classes creating the cakes, beginning with rolling out, cutting, and designing slabs. They then attempted to give their clay a unique flare by adding a topper. After the bottom pieces were joined together using the "score, slip, stick, and smooth" techniques, the cakes were left out to dry and then were bisque fired in the kiln. The students then enjoyed painting their cakes by hand mixing colors and adding textures and details. It is so fun to see the creativity and excitement from the kids as they make their cakes "come to life."

4th grade artists completed their Self Portrait Chalk Drawings to finish off the year! I think the students would agree that the drawing unit was a long and challenging one... no doubt, yet the students GREW SO MUCH during this unit! It was so fun to look at their first self portrait drawings (when we started the unit) and then compare them to their very last ones. Now the challenge will be remembering all they learned with portrait drawing the next time they attempt a self portrait!

3rd grade artists completed their beautiful Warm and Cool Collagraph Prints! The students did a fantastic job creating the collagraph plate (which was a collage of items glued onto a cardboard base). They were given the direction that the design must be non-representational and a balance of positive and negative space. After painting two backgrounds (one warm and one cool) the students had the challenge of painting and printing their collagraph plates 4 times for each background! The results are beautiful, either together or on their own!

2nd grade artists finished their Pop Art Popsicles just in time for summer! These turned out so fun and are very timely as we head into the summer season! The students printed the backgrounds with colorful printing ink and a rectangular linoleum block. They then stuffed and paper mache'd  4 empty toilet paper rolls to resemble popsicles. Lastly, the students painted the popsicles 4 different colors that would stand out from the background colors and then glued them down (along with the popsicle sticks) once they were dry. Although the project involved many steps, the students seemed to enjoy the process!

1st grade enjoyed making Father's Day Cards after completing their stunning VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers (a personal favorite)! To complete the VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers, the students spent a lot of time cutting and gluing on petals... lots of petals! They also added some extra details, including shadows and highlights with oil pastels. Following the Sunflower project, the students were excited to make Father's Day cards (the cards are supposed to be a surprise... so shhh... act surprised)! The students designed ties and then did some basic Origami to create the front of the card. They then added some extra details, along with a message! Happy Father's Day to all of our awesome WL Dads and Dad like figures!

Kindergarten artists created two projects during the month of May and June. They finished their adorable and delicious looking Clay Cupcakes AND their Brave Year of Firsts Self Portraits! For the self-portrait project, the students enjoyed reading the book "My Brave Year of Firsts" by Jamie Lee Curtis and illustrated by Laura Cornell. The book is written in such a fun and humorous way as a little girl reflects back on all of her "firsts" that she experienced in the past year. The book helped the students to think back on all of the firsts THEY experienced this year in kindergarten. With the help of a teacher's writing to look at, the kids wrote down three "firsts" they had! They also enjoyed making a self portrait with cut paper, oil pastels, and colored pencils. Their favorite part was probably adding a hairstyle that looked like theirs!

4K artists had their last art class of the year in May! We enjoyed adding COLOR to our Clay Flower Bowls! The students first colored their clay with oil pastels and then attempted to water down tempera paint to fill in the areas around the oil pastels. The students learned that the oil pastels like to boss the paint around by saying, "Don't go here paint! I was here first!" I was so impressed with the students as they cradled the petals as they colored and handled them with care so they wouldn't break! Way to go 4K artists! I can't wait to have you again next year, and more often too!

Well, that's it folks! Thank you for all of the support and encouragement you give to your kids in ALL subject areas! Of course I am biased towards the arts, so I hope your child continues to enjoy art related activities over the summer. They ALL have sketchbooks (with the exception of 4K) and many have blank pages that can be filled over the summer. I would love to see how they fill up those pages when they come back in the fall. I will be ready... but for now, bring on summer!

Blessing to you all!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Miller 💖

April Art Update

Hello and welcome to the Westlawn Art Blog!

Even with a shortened month of school due to spring break, the students were still able to accomplish a lot, including finishing their fish projects! Below you will see pictures of the fish projects from each grade level. In addition to completing the fish projects, students either returned to a project they had been working on or started a brand new unit. Check it out...

5th grade artists returned to their printmaking project after finishing their Watercolor Fish! The students are currently working on creating self portrait relief prints that will be added onto their linoleum printed backgrounds. So far, the students have learned the process of transferring their image to the foam printing plate and how to create a relief in the foam by pushing it down with a wooden stylus. The project is not easy for the students since it is unfamiliar to many and the white foam makes it difficult to see what you have pushed down. After creating the relief in the foam, the students will have a blast printing their portraits with the printing ink and brayers!

5th grade classes with their Watercolor Fish!

5th grade Watercolor Fish!

Making Self Portrait Relief Prints!

4th grade artists are revisiting their self portrait unit after finishing their awesome Scratch Art Fish (which are some of my personal favorites)! We are about half way through the self portrait unit (it's a long one). The students are currently making rough draft self portraits onto a 9X12 sheet of paper. After teaching the unit many times, I have learned how helpful it is to make a rough draft portrait so that students can feel free to make mistakes and not worry about their drawings being perfect. Once we are finished with the rough drafts (which contain all of the lines of symmetry on the face) we will than trace those to make our final drafts. Those drawings will then be turned into beautiful chalk drawings. Cheer the students on as they work through this challenging (and rewarding) unit!

4th grade classes with their Scratch Art Fish!

4th grade Scratch Art Fish!

4th graders working on their Self Portrait Drawings (rough drafts).

3rd grade artists were able to come back to their Clay Canopic Jars after finishing their amazing Paper Mosaic Fish! The students are currently finishing up their Canopic Jars by painting them to imitate the actual colors on an ancient Canopic Jar! The students are learning how to layer colors and use a variety of painting techniques to achieve the desired look of the jar. After completing the Canopic Jars the students will be moving onto their final art project of the school year (hard to believe it's almost here)! Stay tuned to see what their final project will be!

3rd grade classes with their Paper Mosaic Fish!

3rd grade Paper Mosaic Fish!

3rd grade students painting their Clay Canopic Jars.

2nd grade artists just started a NEW project after finishing their Romero Britto Inspired Fish! The students are continuing in the style of "Pop Art" and this time are making Pop Art Popsicles! The kids had fun printing four colorful background colors using a linoleum block and colorful printing ink. Next, the students will be turning t.p. rolls into papier mache popsicles! Papier Mache is super messy but super fun, so unless your child hates getting messy, they'll love what is to come!

2nd grade class with their Romero Britto Style Fish!

2nd grade Romero Britto Style Fish!

2nd grade students at work on their Pop Art Popsicles! Pictured above are students printing the background and paper macheing the t.p. rolls for popsicles! Also... a picture of a block tower students made during some Free Choice Art time

1st grade artists returned to their VanGogh Inspired Sunflower Paintings after completing their Marbled Paper Fish! The students are about halfway through the multi-step project and are now at the point that they can cut, arrange, and glue the pieces onto their sunflowers. The first graders have been learning a lot about VanGogh's painting style and look like true artists as they study his painting and recreate the colors and textures that they see! I love the discussions this project creates among students as they discuss colors they see and then attempt to recreate them (every year I hear the color description "garbage green"). We cannot wait to show off the students masterpieces when they are completed later this month!

1st grade classes with their Handmade Marbled Paper Fish!

1st grade Handmade Marbled Paper Fish!

Kindergarten artists started a clay project after finishing their Piet Mondrian Inspired Fish! The students are enjoying the process of making Clay Cupcakes, and let me tell you... they are too cute! The students first learned how to shape clay into a pinch pot for the base of their cupcakes. The silicone cupcake liners they used were helpful in making the bottom of the cupcake look real. The students then made a second pinch pot for the top of their cupcake. After this, they were given the challenge of making a long coil for the icing of the cupcake which they spiraled around the top. Lastly, the students had the option of making a topper such as a cherry or strawberry. They did a great job with this and appeared to love every step of the process! After the projects are fired in the kiln, the kinders will enjoy painting them!

Kindergarten classes with their Piet Mondrian Inspired Fish!

Kindergarten Piet Mondrian Inspired Fish!

Kindergarten students LOVING the clay making process for their Clay Cupcakes!

4K artists also began a clay project during the month of April! The students enjoyed making Clay Flower Bowls! The students were given a pre-cut flower and were given the task of adding texture using a variety of items (including the bottoms of their shoes)! The students also learned how to attach two pieces of clay together when adding a clay circle to the center of their flower. They learned the words "score, slip, stick, and smooth." Lastly, the 4K students shaped their flowers into bowls by gently curling up the petals and pinching them to imitate real petals. The students had such a great time working with the clay and are excited to add color to them next art class!

4K artists creating their Clay Flower Bowls!

March Art Update

Thanks for stopping by the Westlawn Art Blog!

During the month of March, all students (grades 5K through 5th grade) began working on a very special project, a FISH project! Jake Knox, a Westlawn parent and woodworker extraordinaire, is currently at work on a NEW location of St. Paul Fish Company that is scheduled to open in Mequon this May. Jake reached out to the Cedarburg and Mequon elementary art teachers and asked if our students would be interested in creating fish artwork to be part of the interior design! Of course we were all thrilled to be part of such a unique opportunity and got right to work on creating fun and eye catching fish projects with our students. In addition to working on other art units, each grade level is currently designing and creating their own original fish. Check out some pictures and description of the projects below. Stay tuned for more information about when the fish market opens so you and your family can visit!

5th grade artists are designing and creating watercolor fish! The students used their Chromebooks to find a fish that appealed to them and created a realistic sketch of their fish in their sketchbooks. Perhaps the greatest challenge of the project (for all grade levels) was to make the fish large enough on their 3 in. X 5 in index card. We talked about using the WHOLE space and making markings on our paper to map out the size and shapes before adding details. Next, the 5th graders will be learning how to paint the fish in stages to achieve the realistic paintings their are going to create.
The 5th grade students paused their printmaking project to work on their fish. So far they have created a background to their artwork by designing, carving, and printing a linoleum block. They had a blast with this and we are looking forward to the second phase of the printing project when the fish are complete! Also during the month of March, the 5th graders completed their paper making which will be used for the cover of their sketchbooks and the cover of their E&P Accordion Books. Busy month for these kids!

4th grade artists are learning how to do scratch art for their fish project! Like the 5th graders, they began the project by choosing and sketching a fish in their sketchbooks. Many of the students doubted themselves at first, but once they learned some tips (such as making markings on their paper and then connecting them like a game of connect the dots) they had great success! So much of art is a mind game and requires you to be mentally strong and think you CAN! Next, the students will be tracing their fish on scratch art paper and beginning to scratch away the white areas (which will turn into color since the scratch art paper is multicolored underneath the black layer). Once again, the project will test the students' focus and commitment to make the fish look like they are wanting them to.
While the 4th grade students work on their fish projects, their self portrait drawing unit is on hold. I look forward to finishing their realistic self portraits when the fish are complete!

3rd grade artists are creating fish mosaics! It has been quite some time since I have done a mosaic project with students, but after learning that Ms. Ingham's class did a mosaic art activity earlier in the school year, I thought this would be a very fitting project for 3rd grade! The students chose and sketched a fish of their choice in their sketchbooks and then traced their drawings onto the small index card. They then lightly shaded the fish using colored pencil so that they would have a guide for where to put the colored pieces of cut paper. The students are now cutting and gluing colored paper to imitate the colors seen in the fish pictures. They are starting to get a hang of how a mosaic is created and are also learning what not to do in the art making process. Thanks so much to those families that donated paint samples earlier in the year! They are coming in super handy!
While the 3rd graders create their mosaic fish, their clay canopic jars are being fired in the kiln. The students will be so excited to paint them after completing their fish!

2nd grade artists completed their Kente Cloth Inspired Paper Weavings at the beginning of March so starting the fish project came at just the right time. I enjoy connecting art units of study to some of the topics students are studying in their classrooms. With the Kente Cloth project we made a connection to the African unit, and now we are learning about Brazilian artist Romero Britto (connecting to the 2nd grade unit on Brazil). Romero Britto is a famous artist know for his "Pop Art" style of art using bold colors and designs. The students used Britto's art as inspiration and incorporated his use of bold designs and bright colors into their fish artwork! After drawing a fish from observation, the students added their designs and made them colorful using colored permanent markers! They look SO great!

1st grade artists will be starting their fish projects this week! They are currently enjoying creating a new project (and a personal favorite of mine) VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers! The students have created about half of their project and with each step they work on they always make it a goal to study VanGogh's painting and imitate his style. We have been working on color mixing and painting like an impressionist painter with the visible brush strokes and painting on thick ("impasto"). I am always amazed at the quality of work that the students bring to this project. Never underestimate what a child can do!

Kindergarten artists are making fish in the style of famous artist Piet Mondrian! The students learned about Mondrian last year in 4K when they made butterflies in his style of painting. This year, I thought it would be fun to make fish in the same style! The students chose one of six fish templates I created and painted sections of the grid with the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. They will then trace the black lines with sharpie to darken them and will finish their projects by cutting out their fish. The project is simple, fun, and eye catching!
The kindergarten students also completed their awesome Robots during the month of March! This was a first time project that aimed to help the students to grow in their knowledge and creative use of shapes! The students had a blast designing their unique robots with the help of rulers, stencils, tin foil, colored construction paper, glue, and colored sharpies!

4K artists completed their Piet Mondrian Inspired Butterflies this past month. Since the butterflies have vertical symmetry, the students were able to make a dot of paint and fold the butterfly to see the same color appear on the other side! Although the act of folding the paper to create a mirror image is a simple art technique, to a four year old, it appears like magic! After making dots of red, yellow, and blue paint in the sections of the grid, the students then practiced their quality painting by filling in the rest of the shapes. The butterflies are by no means "perfect" like Mondrian's paintings appear, but they are beautiful and colorful, and the students had fun learning and creating during the art making process!
The wonderful Kandinsky Circle Paintings are currently on display at Westlawn outside of the art room! They brighten up the hallway and cause many people to stop and admire the students' work!

Here are some pictures from the student art show that is going on right now at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Over 40 Westlawn artists were represented at the art show! Way to go Dolphins!

February Art Update!

Woah! Where did February go? The end of the shortened month always creeps up on me!

Well, we're continuing to enjoy creating in the art room and are excited to share with you some pictures and descriptions of art creations that have been in the works!

4K art students finished their colorful Kandinsky Circle Paintings last art class and also started a new project inspired by another famous artist! After adding a final set of circles to their Kandinsky paintings, the students were asked to trace lines on a butterfly that is in the style of artist Piet Mondrian! Mondrian is famous for creating paintings with straight black lines and blocks of primary colors (red, yellow, and blue). The next time we meet, the 4K students will be adding paint to their butterflies using the primary colors, and in the process, will discover what happens when you add paint to one side of the butterfly and fold it in half! Check back next month to see how their butterflies turn out!

Kindergarten art students recently finished their Self Portraits by adding a border made of yarn! The border was a great addition to the artwork but definitely proved to be a challenge! The kinders are now creating their next art piece which focuses on SHAPES! They will be designing robots made entirely of shapes and will enjoy being creative in their approach. They have already made a background for their artwork by drawing and tracing gears with oil pastels, and painting over the gears with black watercolor paint. The project will help students to practice observational drawing, shape recognition, creativity, and craftsmanship in their work.

1st grade just completed their Kimono Portraits, that finally came together after working on many different parts! Most recently, the students practiced drawing Japanese symbols and then added a few symbols to their artwork that represented something important to them (such as friendship, family, life, etc.) The students also created a fan and positioned their person's arms so that it appeared they were holding the fan. In addition to learning a variety of art techniques, as well as a bit about Japanese culture, the project taught students how to be a good problem solver if they got behind on the project or needed to fix a mistake. The students will soon be starting a NEW art project inspired by one of my FAVORITE impressionist artists!

2nd grade students are in the process of finishing their Kente cloth Weavings, which is a complex and time consuming project involving many steps! The students recently completed their designs using sharpie. They were asked to create their own designs inspired by Kente cloth. Wow... once the students added the designs, it's amazing how it tricks your eyes into thinking the artwork is real cloth! So cool! The students are now adding yarn to the bottom of their artwork to create fringe (giving the weavings tactile texture... texture that you can feel). They will also be weaving some yarn into the artwork in order to add more texture AND continue practicing weaving techniques!

3rd grade art students paused their Clay Canopic jars to complete two important AND fun art assessments! The first art assessment tested the students' creativity! The one-day art test is called "Think Outside the Square." It asks students to choose one colored 6"X6" square and transform it in some way. With the use of a variety of materials (colored pencils, hole punchers, scissors, glue, etc.) the students aimed to impress me and themselves with their creative square transformations! I would say the outcome was a success because no two were the same!
The second and final art assessment, was a still life drawing of two objects (a bottle of liquid and a little purple monster creature). This art test took a look at how well the student could draw from observation. Once again, the students worked hard and many were pleasantly surprised with how accurately they were able to draw the objects.
Now that the two art assessments are complete we will jump right back into creating our Clay Canopic Jars!

4th grade students also took two art assessments, in between finishing up their Clay Coil Pottery! The art assessment that tested the students creativity was the same as 3rd grade ("Think Outside the Square"). The second art assessment was slightly more challenging that 3rd grade... rather than drawing 2 objects from observation, the students drew a still life of 3 objects (a ceramic bear, a wiffle ball, and a ceramic shoe). The students were encouraged to show the following in their drawing... a nice composition on the paper, accurate proportions, texture and details, and craftsmanship.
In addition to the two one day art tests, the students were able to glaze their fabulous Clay Coil Pottery, that will soon be on display outside of the art room!

5th grade art students just started paper making! The handmade paper will be used as a cover for their Elements and Principles Accordion Books. The students had blast choosing a color scheme and tearing paper, as well as adding crayon shavings to their pulp! The process from beginning to end is rather enjoyable and the paper that has been made so far looks fantastic! The Elements and Principles Accordion project has in some ways felt like a marathon, BUT the project teaches the kids SO much AND gives them many choices. It also requires students to be good managers of time, which has been a struggle for many students. I will be inviting any students that are behind on this project to come into the art room Friday mornings at 8:00 for Art Work Time! Please ask your child how they are doing on the project, and if they are not yet done, I would be happy to work with them to complete it!! :)