Creative Compassion Enrichment: Trimester 2

This trimester, students in Creative Compassion enrichment will be working on gifts for cancer patients (of any age). 

We have just started making port pillows which will be distributed to cancer centers in our immediate area to give to patients that are getting ports placed.  A port pillow attaches to a car seat belt strap and prevents rubbing and snagging of a patient's port.  Students seem really really excited to be able to do some sewing in class.  Some students are so into it that they have made a few port pillow at home to add to our donations. 

Students will also be making prayer boxes out of old altoid tins to distribute to those battling cancer.  Here is a sneak peek at the prayer boxes:

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.....And It's Not Even Thanksgiving Yet ;)

2nd Graders have just completed an Advent candle project that will be ready to hang and decorate the halls when we return from Thanksgiving break.  Students learned about shading and adding highlights to their pictures to make it look like they were glowing from the candle light.  They were very impressed that they could create this effect just by adding white oil pastel over their drawings. 

3rd Graders just completed their silhouetted nativity scenes.  

We learned about tints and shades, silhouettes, and focal points and tricks artists use to draw your eye to a specific point in the picture.  Focal points might be created by changing the size of something, by using a certain color, drawing lines to a specific point, etc.  Students used a few tricks of their own to create a focal point on the nativity scene and bringing your eye to the most important aspect of their pictures, baby Jesus. 

5th Grade Maasai Woman Project

5th graders continued their unit of the Maasai with an additional art project that focused on the women of the Maasai tribe.  Students studied the beaded jewelry that the Maasai women wear and the patterns and colors of the Maasai tribe. 

Students learned about the roles the women have in the patriarchal Maasai tribe. 

We are anxiously awaiting our visit from Sabore Ole Oyie, a Maasai warrior and tribal elder in January.  More on this to come. 

Students are also working with Mrs. Behrens and reading "A Long Walk to Water" which ties into the life of the Maasai and the importance of having accessible water (a cause that is near and dear to Sabore and one that he has worked tirelessly for with his organization:  http://saboreswell.org/).  A much longer post will follow soon to give more information on Sabore and his organization and his future visit with the students. 

7th Grade Linoleum and Watercolor Illustrations

I just can't get over how wonderful these turned out!  So much hard work went into these!

The border illustrations are done with Sharpie and watercolor.
The central image is a linoleum print and some have added the addition of chalk.  More on the process that we used on an older blog post:  Linoleum printing

Thankfulness Trees

4th graders will be completing their Thankfulness Trees to bring home for Thanksgiving.  I hope that this project makes a place on your Thanksgiving tables this year.  It's wonderful to see what so many children are thankful for.  While some were thankful for burritos and tacos (hehe), all of the students had their families as the number one thing they were thankful for.


Happy Thanksgiving to all SFC families!  Enjoy being around those that you love and enjoy this time with your families!

Cute photobomber in the background!  :)

7th Grade Sketchbooks Due Tomorrow

Just a reminder that 7th grade sketchbooks are due tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7th for both groups A and B.  I will collect them at the 8th grade tables tomorrow morning before 1st period.  Only 3 sketches need to be completed this trimester (as the sketchbooks arrived late).

Sketchbook Rubric:

Student Name:
Sketchbook Entry:	Excellent	Above Average	Average	Below Average	Poor	ENTRY 1	ENTRY 2	ENTRY 3	ENTRY 4	ENTRY 5
Criteria 1– Value/Shading/Details: The drawing is fully shaded or colored in.  It shows attention to detail.	10	9	8-7	6-5-4	3 – 2 – 1
Criteria 2– Time/Effort/Care:It appears that great care and time has been put into the sketch (at least 30 min).  There is pride in craftsmanship.	10	9	8-7	6-5-4	3 – 2 – 1
					Sub-total:

 

TOTAL:          /100                                                             

Passing Grade:  70 or more on sketchbook               

First trimester:          /60  (only 3 sketches needed first trimester)

First trimester passing grade:      42/60 or more on sketchbook

2nd Grade Foam Print Owls

2nd Graders have just completed their foam print owls and they are absolutely adorable!!! 

First students used a plastic tool to spread brown paint on their paper to create a textured effect.
Next they used a variety of "leaf" colors and painted their entire paper with a rich variety of colors.

Students learned how to draw an owl and drew one on a piece of paper.  This image was traced onto a piece of foam and then students used brayers to roll paint on their foam and made two prints of their owls. 

While these were drying, leaves were cut out, veins made with oil pastels and trees were made using torn paper.  When the prints were dry, the owls were cut out and attached to their tree branches.  They are too cute for words.

8th Grade Sketchbooks due Tomorrow

Sketchbooks will be collected tomorrow morning before 1st period at the 8th grade tables.  Both A and B groups will be turning them in.   Only 3 sketches are needed this first trimester (as the sketchbooks were delivered late).

Sketchbook Rubric:

Student Name:
Sketchbook Entry:	Excellent	Above Average	Average	Below Average	Poor	ENTRY 1	ENTRY 2	ENTRY 3	ENTRY 4	ENTRY 5
Criteria 1– Value/Shading/Details: The drawing is fully shaded or colored in.  It shows attention to detail.	10	9	8-7	6-5-4	3 – 2 – 1
Criteria 2– Time/Effort/Care:It appears that great care and time has been put into the sketch (at least 30 min).  There is pride in craftsmanship.	10	9	8-7	6-5-4	3 – 2 – 1
					Sub-total:

 

TOTAL:          /100                 

Passing Grade:  70 or more on sketchbook               

First trimester:          /60  (only 3 sketches needed first trimester)

First trimester passing grade:      42/60 or more on sketchbook

Sketchbooks that don't pass will be returned to be revised and or redone by a specified due date or else the no-pass grade stands. A no-pass on the sketchbook requirement is a no-pass in Art. Sketchbooks are a requirement for passing Art.

Creative Compassion Update

On Monday, students in Creative Compassion were able to put together over 40 binders of reusable games and activities that are ready to be delivered to Lucile Packard Children's hospital.  

We are working on finishing up our joke book pages and coloring book pages, which will be made into books and given to patients as well.  

We had a few items that were made years ago from another enrichment group that I ran called Art for Charity.  From this we had about 20 leftover glass cross necklaces and guardian angel pins, along with prayer cards with artwork of St. Frances Cabrini and the prayer of St. Frances Cabrini on the back side.  We were able to package these up really cute as well to donate.  

I am hoping to have all items blessed by Father Michael or Father Gabriel and then some members of the staff are going to be going to Lucile Packard Children's hospital to donate all of the items and present them from the students.  We will most likely do this in early spring. 

When I see all of these items together, I can see all of the love that were poured into these.  I hope the patient's and their families will be able to feel it as well.