September Newsletter!

Welcome Back!
I am really excited about this year! I will be at the parent orientations to discuss what we will be working on this year and I hope to see you there. Here is my September Newsletter:

Welcome Back! I am so excited to be here again and working with your children!

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Megan Kimball. This year I will be working with students in kindergarten, first, second, fourth and fifth grades. Students will see me once a week in the art studio, room 220.

In Studio 220, we will work on a variety of art and design projects. All of the children will work with a variety of media as mandated by the Blueprint for the Arts: drawing, painting, printmaking, arts in technology, design, collage and sculpture. These units, spread throughout the year, will cover a number of topics, often linked to the learning that is happening in their classroom. Students will also be experimenting with digital arts using the computer, scanner and digital cameras. In my class, students will explore materials, learn about artists and create their own work. This year, I am putting an emphasis on what it means to think like an artist. Depending on the grade level, we will explore this question in different ways—how can we: use a familiar material in a new way, make a mistake into something new, take risks in our work and not be afraid of “messing up.” We will explore how artists share their individual point of view and students will hear from working artists who can show their own creative process. I am thrilled to be working with so many students this year, and I cannot wait to see what amazing ideas they come up with!

Here is a glimpse of what we are doing in September:

September in Studio 220 is all about setting up routines in the studio and allowing students to take ownership over their creative space. Each class period, students will work on a small project that will reinforce the routines and what is expected of them. I like start off the year by surprising the students with new ways to use materials they may already be familiar with. This sets up the arena of surprise and exploration that is such a large part of our studio work.

In September, students will begin experimenting with materials and creating art about what they hope to accomplish this year. Students will create a portfolio to hold their sketches, ideas and anything else that they find inspiring. We will explore how an artist gets ideas and the importance of keeping these organized. By then end of this first month, students will be ready to jump into our first unit.

I am so looking forward to this year and we will get off to an amazing start in September!