Thursday

A Glimpse at Our Work through a Variety of Languages

CLAY

Clay work has steadily been increasing since the beginning of the new year. Developing an understanding of the properties and potential is part of the process along with establishing a knowledge of the tools and honing our skills in forming the clay to represent an intention. Of course it is also all about the play, squishing, shaping, molding, folding, cutting, poking, and attaching pieces with the score and slip technique. Janie, Jane, and CC have made cakes. Jane made a bed, Janie made pizza, Audrey made a table. Lochie shaped a pyramid (below) and   Giacomo formed a volcano, both of which provided an opportunity to learn that we need to hollow out dense portions of clay to prevent ruination once fired, due to unseen air pockets in the clay. Reed worked on making a baby koala, with emphasis on the baby because the adult was "too big." Of course, the relevance and continuing intrigue around rats influence an opportunity to sculpt and create rats courtesy of Lochie, Audrey, Lucia, Giacomo, and with supporting credits to Elyse. 

 CONSTRUCTION & DRAMATIC PLAY

The black and white areas have been active as the black area has decidedly transformed into night and the white area is loosely being appreciated as day. The construction and dramatic play merger is alive, well, and ongoing! 

DRAWING

A First Approach to Drawing St. John's - A Response to Making a Gift for the 25th School Birthday Celebration

We want to illustrate a portrait of St. Johns so we took some time to sit on the lawn as a first sketch and study awhile back. We identified the Brown Room window, the window above the stairs, and the window to Molly's office. Not long after we got started Molly appeared at the middle window above the door - Hi Molly! The children were focused, engaged, and had a lot of fun! We got some great initial drawings from this experience observing the facade, and it provided great leverage for another opportunity at a greater distance with larger paper to better capture the whole school, from the front. We hope to have a few more children work on this as well as capturing the back of the school for a more complete portrait. 

Other Drawing

Our interest in the relationship between the sun, moon, and Earth is maintaining enthusiastic momentum. The children are curious about how it all works and our eager to share what they know and learn from each other. Of course beyond this there are many other opportunities for drawing whether by individual choice or as part of our weekly projections. We are really beginning to observe that this form of expression is developing for everyone!

MIXED MEDIA & COLLAGE

We have embellished our studio area by the easel to support drawing, for a period of time, instead of painting by adding a greater assortment of mark making tools along with lots of paper choices, glue, scissors, hole punches, and more. The intention is for larger scale drawing and merging languages with the mixed media approach. This area now appears and feels  like a mini atelier or an extension of the message center but for big drawing and collage work.  The children have been enjoying taking some ownership over the space by intentionally moving the materials, of their choice, near to their paper. It's great observing how the space and work are slowly evolving.

PAPER MACHE

"My hands are all messy!" Violet said while jumping up and down with enjoyment as she pulled her hands out from the flour and water mixture.  Paper mache has been a recent addition to our exploration of paper as part of a birthday committee and separate from birthday work, in support of Giacomo's and Nora's investigations of the rat holes and an interest in creating a volcano to scare away the imagined rats. 

WIRE

Wire is getting more love and attention. It has been implemented in our current birthday committee work and in the beginning work of representing and creating constellations for our "night sky." More will be shared and shown on these later!