Hello Everyone!
We began our Little Amal study as an in-class art-in-action response to local and global newcomer experience and as an opportunity to learn our own newcomer stories. Students LOVED learning their family Chicago immigration stories, the story of their name and creating their own identity armour in the art lab last month. We created a lot of culturally-responsive dialogue and art--- talking about refugee experience, migration and transformation, identity and empathy throughout September. Yesterday, we joined our friends to Meet Little Amal and hear a NEW version of STONE SOUP:)! What an inspiring experience...Thank you Little Amal & Chicago! Before we move on to our new learning this month, I want to honor our good work and community of hope. Thank you Waters!
***We are so grateful for this culminating community experience to share our voice in this Global Art Happening!***
(Thanks to Kristin and Sten for creating the Bike Bus from Waters to Margate Park!)
This month, We are continuing our identity study as we begin to look at seasonal celebrations. This year we will be looking at two powerful autumnal Festivals of Light---Diwali and Hanukkah. October will focus on Diwali and Indigenous Peoples Day and November will look closely at Native American Heritage Month and begin our study of Hanukkah. I look forward to support from Waters families to share family traditions, stories and folkloric art traditions for these celebrations of light, transformation, dedication and the changing of the equinox. Thanks in advance.
Throughout October, students will be looking at Diwali's emphasis on light and the triumph of goodness and hope. We will compare stories, legends, artworks and other art forms to prior knowledge of the upcoming celebrations of Días de los Muertos and the Spring Festival of the Lunar New Year.
We will be studying PATTERN & MOVEMENT! Mandalas, torans, diyas, rangoli and henna designs will be our guides. HOORAY!
We will also continue our storytelling theme and create the legends of Rama and Sita (and many other folktales from India) for students to experience along with our amazing personal storytellers puppet project...Our Preschool Art Buddies will enjoy storytelling in the Gift from the Heart Literary Salon.
Please let me know if you can help out with any of our projects or can hang artworks for our upcoming exhibit, November 16, 2023. (If you can help out with any of these classroom activities or art making studios November 16, 2023---please email me: alvecchioni@cps.edu.) Thanks so much!
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! Please email me any Little Amal photos for our slideshow at our exhibit! Thank you for your support!
With Kindness,
Mrs. Vecchioni
