A New School Year

Kindergarten students never cease to amaze me. We started Self Portraits this week and I was so impressed by the details these children were able to draw. We began using Sharpie markers then added color with oil pastels. Next week, we will talk about finishing our work using watercolors to paint the background and create unity.

All students at PPS will have their finished artwork uploaded to Artsonia.com, a website that acts as a digital art gallery for students. Parents will receive an email from Artsonia if their student is new to PPS. If your child already has an Artsonia account from last year, I will continue to upload art to their account. If you have any questions about Artsonia, privacy, or how it works, please let me know and I'd be happy to give you more information.

Contact: amanda.vella@colchestersd.org

Adventures in Sculpture

There's been a lot of serious Making going on in the PPS art room. Kindergarteners have created paper mache donuts (classic ring donut, jelly-filled, and of course, the infamous munchkin). 1st Graders have been using paper mache to build realistic ice cream cones. And 2nd Graders have been using plaster gauze to create sculptures of the Blue Whale which they have been researching in their Library classes with Mrs. B. Here are some pictures from our adventures in sculpture this week:



Don't forget to fry your donuts before you frost them!



Appling frosting can be so much fun!




Carrying the donuts can be a difficult task in itself. They roll around on our paper plates like meatballs...










Kindergarteners adding "chocolate and strawberry drizzle" with small squeeze bottles of paint



Chocolate chip, anyone?










These two definitely love chocolate ice cream



A collection of Mr. Shepherd's class's Blue Whales

Josh's Whale Photography



Stop Motion Creatures by Mr. Shepherd's Class

Stop Motion Creatures by Ms. LaRose's Class

Stop Motion Creatures by Ms. Warren's Class

Stop Motion Animated Creatures by Mrs. Bissonette's class

In second grade, we created articulated creatures inspired by mythology and imagination. After creating the creatures (which had movable limbs from using fasteners) we made short animated movies in partner groups. Above is a video of two groups in Mrs. Bissonette's class working to create their videos. Below are their finished videos

Discussing Artwork can be Enlightening!

Listen to how this Kindergartener discusses his owl painting. I am often pleased, surprised, and impressed by how my students explain their pictures. The talking that goes along with picture-making is an essential part of the process for little ones. Everything has some sort of meaning or symbolism at this age. (Those circles are nostrils...who would have guessed?)