January Art Update!

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by!

During the month of January we transitioned to working on projects for the upcoming Westlawn Carnival on February 11th! Did you hear this year's theme? AROUND THE WORLD! Such a cool theme, and so fitting for art! I spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas of what to do... the options were numerous! Eventually I settled on having each grade focus on a mini theme that fits the BIG theme. Each grade level is learning about either a culture or artist from different parts of the world. Russia, Japan, Brazil, Egypt, and many other places are being represented through the students' artwork! You'll have to check out each grade level to see what type of "worldly" artwork they are creating! I hope you are able to come and see the artwork in person on Saturday February 11th, as every student will have something on display!☺

Here's a little preview...

Also... this month I put up an art display at the District Board Room. In the past students have received a letter and ribbon for being selected, but this year with so much of the artwork on display being digital copies (due to the Original Works fundraiser), the artwork was put up simply for viewing pleasure by those that have meetings in the board room. I have received lots of compliments and pictures were even posted on the District Facebook page! This is a compliment to the students and their many artistic talents. Way to go WL kids!☺

December Art Update!

Hello and happy new year everyone!!! I hope you enjoyed your holiday celebrations and time spent with family☺

Here we are in a new year, and what an exciting year it will be! Lots to look forward to here at Westlawn, including all of the happenings in the art room.

Please take a look at your child's grade to see what they were learning during our few short weeks in December.

Here are a few pictures to highlight what each grade has been working on... Enjoy! See you at the end of January!

November Art Update!

Hello and welcome to December! Let's take a look back at what took place in the Westlawn art room during the month of November. It was a busy month, particularly with the big Veteran's day celebration! As each of our Veteran's and guests entered the doors of Westlawn they were not only greeted by a friendly bunch of 5th graders, but were also greeted by the Patriotic Pinwheels hanging from the ceiling (made by our WL kindergartners) and the giant flag mosaic with all of our Westlawn faces! Thank you very much to Mr. Cowie and Mrs. Roller for adding the 350+ pictures of students and staff to the flag!

Of course the students have also been busy in the art room, learning, creating, imagining, problem solving, exploring, and more! Please take a look at your child's grade to see some updated pictures and descriptions. Please also continue to have conversations with your child about what they have been learning in art! Hopefully they have something neat to share! If not, maybe you need to pry a little more☺

See you at the end of December!

Oh, and by the way... thank you so much to the families that have donated items to the art room! It is so appreciated! We are starting to run low on kleenex and sponges. We could always use more candy for the candy jar as well (for class rewards)! If you have leftover Halloween candy you want to get rid of, send it my way! (dairy free is preferable please)

Thank you and take care!

Artfully yours,

Mrs.Miller

October Art Update!

Hello and welcome to November! Thank you for stopping by to see what your child has been up to in art class during the month of October. ALL Westlawn students have worked diligently to complete their artwork that will be submitted to Original Works very soon! You should be receiving information about this Westlawn fundraiser in the upcoming weeks from our PTO! Don't pass up an opportunity to purchase items with your child's one-of-a-kind artwork! They will make terrific gifts for the holidays! Check out your child's grade to see some of the completed projects☺

Here's a little preview...

Another highlight from the month of October was our 5th grade Art and Music Field Trip! 

Check out this good looking group! We had a blast on the trip. More pictures from the field trip are under "5th Grade."

I also wanted to make mention of an art opportunity that is taking place THIS FRIDAY (November 4th) at the Community Cultural Center. They will be holding an art class "Techniques in Cray-Pas (Oil Pastels) with Janann Miller from 10am-12pm. What a great thing to have your kids do on a day off of school! To see more information check out this link... http://cedarburgculturalcenter.org/childrenart.html

I will continue to post information about any art opportunities I know of, both on my blog and my informational board outside of the art room. I hope your kids have a chance to take part in some fun art experiences outside of school! Please let me know of any opportunities that YOU know of that I can advertise for our Westlawn families!

Lastly, I will likely be looking for a couple parent volunteers next week leading up to Veteran's Day! I am planning to put together a BIG project for that special day when we invite Veterans into our school. Send me an email if you might have some time to volunteer during a school day next week! srmiller@cedarburg.k12.wi.us

Thanks again for stopping by!

See you again at the end of November☺

Artfully yours,
Mrs. Miller

September Art Update!

Hello and thanks for checking out the Westlawn Art Blog!

Well, the first month of school FLEW BY! Seriously! Where did it go? Within the first handful of weeks we have been able to accomplish a LOT in the art room! ALL students (kindergarten through 5th grade) had a chance to participate in our first mini art project of the year, that was made into a BIG collaborative display! The students designed a leaf using water colors and oil pastels, putting their own personality into the project. Together, the leaves created a BEAUTIFUL tree that reminds us of the growing we hope to do this school year. We have been discussing the growth mindset (that you likely have heard of) and how it applies to us as artists. The "Power of Yet" is very applicable in the art room, as there are many things that the students would like to do, but can't do... YET! The students will be reminded of this throughout the year as they attempt to GROW as artists. We are aiming for growth, not perfection ☺

Collaborative Tree Display (fall 2016)

ALL Westlawn students also began creating their sketchbooks (a project that they will make each year in art). THANK YOU to Piggly Wiggly, once again, for donating enough paper bags for our 2nd-5th grade sketchbooks that have a special feature, handles! While the kindergarten and 1st grade students finished their sketchbooks, the 2nd-5th grade students took a break from their project to start their next project... for ORIGINAL WORKS!
If you have never heard of Original Works, it is a neat fundraiser we do at Westlawn every other year. The company "Original Works" has a whole line of products that can be purchased with YOUR CHILD'S ARTWORK as the design. The PTO will be sending home information about this fundraiser so you and your family can purchase products in time for the holidays! They make fabulous gifts! Take a look at your child's grade to see pictures of their "original work" in progress☺

Please also take a look at the Volunteer Information if you wish to volunteer in the art room this year OR make a donation of supplies. I GREATLY appreciate parents that are interested in volunteering, as I simply cannot do it all myself!

Thank you for supporting your child's education and their involvement in the arts! I look forward to a great year with your child and am excited to see them GROW this year!

Welcome Back!

Hello and welcome back Westlawn families!

Please stay tuned for the first art update of the year, coming at the beginning of October! You will be informed of art blog updates at the beginning of each month via email.

If you are curious to learn more about the art curriculum at Westlawn, please check out the tab "Art Curriculum."

As always let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I look forward to sharing all of the happenings in the art room this school year! See you soon!

May/June Art Update!

Well... I guess this is it! We have come to the end of the 2015-2016 school year! Thanks so much for taking the time to check out these blog updates in order to stay connected to life in the art room and to support your child's education. As I state in my teaching philosophy, I believe that every child has been created uniquely and has something special to offer. Whether they are incredibly gifted in the area of art, or just enjoy exploring different art mediums and materials, I hope that each student enjoys their time in the art room and appreciates the opportunity to create and learn about art. I am honored and privileged to be their teacher! Truly!

The month of May was spent finishing up projects, and those projects reveal some of the students' best work this school year! The beginning of June was spent passing back artwork that the students hadn't yet received. Thank you for your patience as you have been waiting for the artwork to be sent home! It is a whole lot easier for me to dedicate one class to sending home artwork rather than sending it home sporadically (my brain can't keep track of what I sent home and when). The kids have so much fun passing back the artwork and some of their reactions to getting back artwork are priceless. They are so excited to reflect back on all the hard work they put in over the school year and to see their growth throughout. I also love hearing the phrase..."Oh yeah, this project! I totally forgot about this project! (as if they did it three years ago, haha).

Enjoy checking out the grade levels to see all of the students' hard work.

Also... I am always in need of extra help in the art room... SO... if your child would be interested in helping out in the art room later on in the summer (towards the start of next school year) I would be happy to accept their help and would gladly treat them to an Out and Out treat as a thank you ☺ Send me an email if you are interested. I am looking for a group of 3-4 responsible, helpful students, that love to clean and organize!

Thanks again and have a SPLENDID AND SAFE SUMMER!!! ☺

Sincerely,

Mrs. Miller