HAPPY NEW (school) YEAR!

Welcome back! I can't believe summer is already over and we are once again beginning a new school year! This is my fifth year at PS 250 and I am so excited for all of the projects and plans I have for the artists at our school this year!!
The art room is all ready for the new year:

Front of the Art Room

Back of the Art Room

Students have been spending the first art class of the year learning (and reviewing) the rules and procedures of the art room. Students all received seats at my tables (labeled by color) and have learned that they need to work together with their tablemates to follow the rules so that they can earn gems on my behavior chart. They can earn gems at the beginning of class, during work time, at clean up and at line up. If they receive all of their gems, their table earns stickers! They have learned that it is always important to be listening and following the rules so that they know what the directions for art making are for the day.

Positive Behavior Chart

This year, every student is going to create a pencil self-portrait the first day (or days for the younger grades) and last day of art class. I want everyone to have a chance to see the progress they make during the year, but I also feel self-portraits are a great way to get back into the art-making groove. Self-portraits force us to sharpen our observational skills (when we're looking in mirrors), think about the various types of lines and marks we can make (i.e., thick, thin, curvy, light, dark, etc.), as well as how we can re-create what we see in a mirror, with a pencil and line on a piece of paper.
Here are a few students working hard to create their realistic drawings:

1-105 working hard

3-303

3-303 

Here a few samples of the fabulous self-portraits students drew:

Lucas, 4-312

Kira, 2-212

Nathaly, 3-228

Jaden, 5-327

Joseph, 5-327

Nicholas, 5-327

Andrea K-B01

Elijah, K-B01

Stanley, 1-107

Matthew, HC-305

Next, students will be discussing how artists keep track of and care for their artwork by making portfolios, which they will use to store these portraits (and all of the other art they make this year) in. By the looks of these portraits, I know this year will be a FABULOUS year for our artists!!!