Art Lab News
September 2023 | Room 219
Getting into...
Our first few days of school, we worked on SEL,
...the groove....
empathic choice-making,
...of collaborative artmaking!
and learning to take risks together!
IDENTITY | Your Name is a Song
SKILLS | Art Lab this Month
Our Journey Begins...
Hello Everyone!
HOORAY! I look forward to seeing you this Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at Curriculum Night! Essentials teachers will be sharing a table on the 1st Floor. Stop by and visit…
We’ve spent the last two weeks in Art Lab immersing ourselves in IDENTITY and the 7 Sacred Teachings of the Obijwe and other 3 Fires cultures of this region. We’ve rendered old stories new again and have many budding griots in our midst…BRAVO!
- 7th graders will be sharing their Sacred Teachings Shadow Theatre Fables to our preschoolers soon, enhancing their study of literary elements and building community identitiy across grade levels…
- 5th and 8th graders are creating their own symbolic shield, crest, shell or mask---to share their goals and traits with us as an extension to their study of Growth Mindset and Native American experience…
- 3rd graders looked at how the 7 Sacred Teachings related to their everyday life as they prepare to research their family migration stories and grow their homeroom studies of Hispanic Heritage, community and force & motion…
- Kinder and 1st graders explored the power and importance of their name as their first gift as they prepare for their first painting project of the school year---a watercolor self-portrait rooted in My Name is a Song and homeroom All About Me units…
This month, we are adding MIGRATION to our theme of IDENTITY. Each of our monthly themes will build into our overall exploration of TRANSFORMATION this school year.
We will be looking and looking again at what it means to change and stay the same. We will explore how we came to be a family of artists at Waters Elementary---growing, moving and changing each day. We will continue to engage SEL and identity themes as we extend our narrative study to pride-of-place this month.
Your child will be asking some important research questions this month. Please share😊!
What is the story of my name(s)😊?
How did we come to be in Chicago, at Waters Elementary😊? What is our family journey?
We will be learning about Little Amal, the art-in-action puppet theatre created by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company (see below), walking the journey of thousands of miles that thousands of refugee children endure each year. Little Amal is the global symbol of HOPE (Amal means hope in Arabic.). The character was inspired by the play “The Jungle” by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, which tells the story of a little girl in a French refugee camp. Little Amal walks for a better future for everyone affected by war, violence and loss of food, clean water and shelter.
The AMAL project arrives in Chicago at the end of this month on her way across America. At Waters, we plan to welcome her as Chicagoans and artists in as many languages and artforms as we can. If you are interested in helping our Arts Leadership Team in this project, please email me- alvecchioni@cps.edu. Thank you in advance!
We will also be reading Our Classroom is a Family--- K-8! Our class is a family😊!
We are very excited to share ALL OF OUR STORIES at our Eco-Arts Fest, November 16, 2023 (3:15-5:00PM)! More news to follow next month! Thank you for your support!
With Kindness,
Mrs. Vecchioni
INTELLECTUALISM | Take ACTION with US and Little Amal!
WHAT IS LITTLE AMAL'S STORY?
CRITICALITY | AMAL visits Chicago this month!
JOYFUL PURSUITS | AFTER SCHOOL ART CLUBS | ROOM 219
we make art to make change...
Please join us for after school action-based art making and fun! Girl Scouts can even earn badges! Email me with any questions you may have ---alvecchioni@cps.edu!
CRITTER CLUB | TUESDAYS | 3:15-4:15PM
CRITTER CLUB AFTER SCHOOL CLUB
Critter Club (Each Tuesday!)
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023, 03:15 PM
ART LAB | Room 219
CHANGEMAKER CLUBS | 1-8 GR | 3:15-4:15PM
M&M CLUB & WAVEMAKERS
Our Changemaker clubs called M&M Club (1-3 grade) and Wavemakers (4th-8th graders) is a group of student-artists, who create action steps to build awareness, make art and create change rooted in climate and social justice and equity for all communities. We create school-wide art-led actions, developed by students and are student leaders. We meet twice a month. The 2nd and 4th Friday will be meet dates. If no school that day, no meeting. ( Our first example: September 8th only this month (No student attendance 9.22.23))
Friday, Sep 8, 2023, 03:15 PM
ART LAB | Room 219
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
GIRL SCOUT TROOP #26333 | FRIDAYS | 3:15-4:15PM
GRRL SCOUT TROOP #26333
Our troop is all-ages 1st-6th grades! We focus on Girl Power, Art and Nature! What fun!
Troop #26333 membership is free---no dues or cookie sales. Girl Scouts of America registration is $25 and full scholarships are available. Please join us for new and old traditions together!
We are looking for a volunteer to donate or sew Girl Scout sashes for our members. Please email me if you can support this endeavor--- alvecchioni@cps.edu.
This month's meetings:
September 15 & 29 (3:15PM-4:15PM)
Friday, Sep 15, 2023, 03:15 PM
Room 219
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
JOYFUL PURSUITS | TEXT | Our Classroom is a Family
Enjoy and animated version of one of the amazing stories guiding us!
JOYFUL PURSUITS | MS Art Classes at School of the Art Institute of Chicago!
