Weekly Arts Wrap Up- 12/9/16

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BMC Durfee Band preparing for last week's Annual Christmas Parade

Happy Friday!

In the Arts News This Week:

  • Art Teachers: I have ordered Avery Sticky Labels for your art work that will be hung in the K-12 Arts Expo as well as the Durfee Arts Festival.  I will send over enough for each of your schools in interoffice mail, pre-printed and ready to fill in.  There are 30 on a page, so this should help with tracking classes' work (one page per class, roughly).
  • Music Teachers: Gary Bigelow is planning to have some time to work with middle school music teachers so you can learn more about using technology to compose music in your classrooms during the January PD Day.  Stay tuned for more details.
  • COME TO THE MUSICAL!!!!  It's going to be SPECTACULAR!  Side Show is this Friday and Saturday at 7PM, and then Sunday at 2PM..  Hope to see you all here at Durfee!  Our teachers and students have worked so hard to make this an unforgettable show!  Congrats go out to Lara Beth Terry, Gary Bigelow and Matt MacMullen for working day in and day out..  You model hard work, talent and the creative process for our young performers..  Thank you!


I also want to take a moment to celebrate the energy and creative thought that goes into the work you see in these pictures from RPS.  Resiliency Prep School, our Alternative High School has forged a partnership with Artist Fitzcarmel LaMarre.  He is working with students on painting, portraiture and other art projects, but beyond that, he is teaching them perseverance, a love for art, and modeling courage through the arts.  Henri Matisse said "Creativity takes Courage," and Fitz models this with a smile on his face DAILY for our kids.  Thank you, Fitz- our RPS students ask to go to your class, and the relationship you are building with them is powerful.

 K-5 Learning Walk:
Some Pics...
  • I will attach this document in the weekly email.  Please do take a look at the what, how and why of what your colleagues plan for engaging tasks in art, music and performance classes.
  • Next week, I will go through all classes from grades 6-12, and report out by Friday, December 16th.
  • In K-5 classrooms, I am observing some really great tasks that ask students to synthesize art styles from specific artists, mixing colors, cutting and recognizing shapes, singing with range, tone and rhythm, and playing simple instruments.  Learn (and steal ideas) from each other!  
Shout Out:

This week, I want to send a big SHOUT OUT to Victoria Arons at Greene Elementary..  Her Kindergarten class was pretty super duper awesome to watch.  They had read a book about what they called "mouses painting."  These "mice" jumped in paint and mixed up the primary colors, creating new colors.  When Ms. Arons asked students to recall what these mice made with their feet, they gave her the colors (orange, green and purple) and also said that these were secondary colors.  Students then began to paint with liquid watercolor their smiley face shapes they had drawn with black crayon (resist technique) and using their primaries, were able to make secondary colors.  Not only did Ms. Arons use a text to deepen the artistic thinking, she had the students using the vocabulary to talk like artists.  Wooooooot Wooooooot!!!!
Evaluation Nuts and Bolts, Continued: 
  • Teachers, just a gentle reminder to make sure you are taking a minute to set aside student work that might serve as evidence for your Student Learning Goals if you see students scheduled on a semester basis, as before you know it, we will be in semester two, and you may be switching student groups/cohorts/classes!
  • Teachers on one year plans- we will be meeting to discuss your formative collection of evidence after the holiday break.  Please make sure you have one to three artifacts per standard and have a status as to your work toward achievement of goals..
  • I am continuing to make my way to you this month and next and commit to giving you feedback that is grounded in your specific content with commendations  and recommendations.  As always, feel free to email me if you would like to meet and discuss ideas!

On the Calendar...
  • Monday, 12/12: Kuss CPT
  • Tuesday, 12/6: Morton CPT, HLCS CPT, 2:45- Durfee Faculty Meeting (IMC)
  • Wednesday, 12/7: Grades 6-12 Learning Walk 
  • Wednesday, 12/14: Durfee CPT (content specific- continuing the work from last week's) 
  • Friday, 12/16: Itinerant CPT, and Polar Express night at Durfee!  Friday, December 16th!
  • Durfee Faculty Meeting- 12/13
  • Durfee Department Meeting- 12/21
  • Full Day PD Day- Monday, January 30th.
  • And from Becky C: I'm in a Christmas play next weekend! It's free at 7pm Friday and Saturday 12/9 & 12/10 @ 95 Sagamore Rd in Seekonk MA!
  • And from Bob Beauregard: Tansey Concerts and other events: Dec 11 Providence Bruins  3:05 p.m., Dec 21, 6-7p.m. Caroling at Adams House(nursing home).
Also, teachers, please know that in January, you will have three Mondays with no classes- 1/2, 1/16 and 1/30!  Plan ahead!

Concerts and Stuff!
    • Durfee- 12/15- 6:30PM
    • Durfee CB Classrooms- Music/Art Show- 12/14- 6PM
    • Morton- 12/13 6:30PM
    • Kuss- 12/15- 7PM
    • HLCS- 12/20- 7PM
    • Spencer B- 12/21- During the school day
  • The Talbot Band will be playing at St. Bernadette’s Soup Kitchen on Monday, December 12th from 5 to 6PM.
  • The Durfee Musical is held from the 9th to the 11th of December at Durfee in the Auditorium- “Side Show”.

Thanks for all you do and have a wonderful weekend!

Jackie

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