Thoughts for a new School yea

It seems that the problems with teaching and being a student in this age are similar and possibly more challenging then when I first started teaching art in 1990. Devices are more seductive, shows are more flashy, and students are spending most of their time with their faces in front of a screen. I'll admit that it's easier sometimes letting them just watch mindless TV. But it can't be good for them, or us. GO OUTSIDE!!!! 100 years ago a man named Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick a pioneer in Physical Education thought kids were not getting enough exercise and becoming soft. I wonder what he would think of kids today. 

We are made to be outdoors, we are designed to move around, and we are capable of thinking and solving problems while moving around. Isn't this why we like playing sports? One of my goal this year is to add more physical activities to my classroom for students and advisory. As well as more physical activities on the weekends for me and my own kids...Sooo surfs up for 2015/2016!!!!!

It happens every year. the excitement is contagious, the energy is insane! It's march madness in the Middle School at CDS. It's the 11th annual Congo/Lammer's Hoops tournament. 64 spots, one champion! The game played is Knockout with nerf balls, on a little tikes basket hoop. It's a tradition that started out as an Advisory game to play in the morning. Advisory is an awesome part of the Middle School experience and a great time to get to know your students and bond with them in and sometimes a friendly game of nerf is a great way to do just that.  We played around the world and PIG back in the early days but nothing can compare to the action of knockout, so the game evolved and here we are...11 years later...

previous champions;
John Ruhl 2005
John Ruhl 2006
Ricky Modrzynski 2007
James Nevant 2008
Zach Maag 2009
John Freeman 2010
John Freeman 2011
Candler Rice 2012
Mac Gourlay 2013
Owen Cecil 2014
? 2015

https://youtu.be/1cQSgg5b9eY

Scholastic Art Awards 2015

Congratulations to all the 8th grade students who submitted work to the Scholastic Art Awards! Big giant thanks to Toni Oreck, Brooks Sullivan, Missy Sullivan and Kylie Olp for helping prepare all the work for submission!! We submitted 30 works of art this year. There were over 800 entries this year at the Asheville Art Museum.

the winners are;

Honorable Mention

1. Carly Oreck- digital photography- “Flame Shop” Honorable Mention

2. Adelaide Lammers- Painting –Natalie Achonwa – Honorable Mention

3. Meghan Dephouse- b/w photography-“Hidden” Honorable Mention

Silver Key

1. Carly Oreck - digital photography- “Drawing Dawn to Dusk” Silver Award

Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Congratulations to everyone who submitted work and to those whose work was chosen

 

7th GRADE ANIMATION METAMORPHOSIS PROJECT

1000 drawings, 40 students, and 4 months.  The 7th grade spent a good 4 months of art classes finding their spirit animals and then turning other animals into an animation project. We start by finding our spirit animal. Telling stories and thinking about what animal appears to us during random times, or at the end of the story that I tell them. They are given another students animal randomly and then the drawings begin. They slowly try to change the animal into the shape of their animal in 18 to 30 drawings. They collaborate with each other, they help color and pen other students.









 We watched BLU street animations to inspire us....
 http://youtu.be/sMoKcsN8wM8

It is a great project and the kids really enjoy the process, though they sometimes struggle on the concepts. overall they worked hard this year and here is the final work. enjoy!!!

http://youtu.be/_dsa1auOjuk