Art News

Dinner Theatre reminder for Dec. 8th!

Dinner Theater – Sponsored by the Dowell Singers

 

Come see and hear select classes from each grade level, the Dowell Singers, Recorder Club, and more as we start the season off with music and celebration!

 

Thursday, Dec. 8^th - 5:30-6:30 PM

Performance - 6:45 -7:45pm

Dowell Cafeteria

 

For only $3, dinner will include:

1 slice of pizza, salad, drink, and cookie

Barnes and Noble this week!

Please come to Barnes and Noble and see each grade level’s performance, see student artwork, listen to our chorus, and buy books to support our school!

Thursday, December 1, 2011
5:30-7:30 P.M.
Barnes & Noble
At the West Cobb Avenues

5:35-5:47: Kindergarten
5:52-6:04: First Grade
6:09-6:20: Second Grade
6:25-6:45: Dowell’s Chorus Performance
6:50-7:02: Third Grade
7:07-7:19: Fourth Grade
7:19-7:30: Fifth Grade

Can’t attend our bookfair at Barnes & Noble?
Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from 12/1/11 to 12/6/11
by entering Bookfair ID # 10522621 at checkout.

A percentage of your Barnes & Noble purchases will benefit our school/organization.

Reminders and updates and Happy Thanksgiving!

There are more things happening this month and next so remember to put them on the calendar!  VIP lunches are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, this week!  Barnes and Noble Night/PTA is Dec. 1 and Dinner Theatre is Dec. 8th! WOW~ then its time for Christmas. 

Please be saving your child's artwork.  The art show is in March and I will be collecting art work in Jan. for the show!  We are continuing to work on more pictures also, and we can certainly use these for the show too!

 

Art vocabulary for K-5

Below is a list of key vocabulary and concepts that you can use to assist your child in discussing his/her artwork. The list is not a comprehensive list but to see the full list of standards that must be taught please check out Picasso – Fine Arts which is located on the CCSD main website.

 

Kindergarten Vocabulary:

Colors: red, yellow, blue (PRIMARY), green, purple, orange, white, black, brown

Lines: straight, curved, angled (zigzag), broken (dotted), thick, thin, spiral

Shapes: GEOMETRIC-circle, square, rectangle, oval, triangle ORGANIC-blob, free form

Forms: sphere, cube

Textures: smooth, rough, hard, soft, fuzzy, bumpy

Media: (Tool recognition) pencils, crayons, sharpie, scissors, clay, kiln (Types of art) collage, watercolor, tempera, sculpture, 3-d, printmaking, stamping

Misc. Terms: Placement in space (beside/overlapping, above/below, close/far, right/left, front/back, over/under), Horizon Line

 

Other helpful discussion tools:

Compare and contrast based on subject, theme or art elements.

Expresses preference for one over two/three pieces.

Describes artwork revealing media, subject and story.

Point out clues that determine time and place in a piece of art.

 

First Grade Vocabulary ( include previous grade level)

 

Identify lines and shapes: GEOMETRIC and ORGANIC

3-d forms: spheres, cubes, cylinders, cones, rectangular prisms

Identify media: pencils, crayons, watercolors, tempera, clay, pastels, printmaking, and sculpture

Identify color families: PRIMARY- red, yellow, blue SECONDARY – green, purple, orange and how are they mixed

Positive and Negative space (the shape is the positive space and the empty space around the shape is the negative space)

Names and describes textures (bumpy, smooth, rocky, soft...)

Abstract and what makes it abstract

Other helpful discussion tools:

Describe subjects in art.

Recognize how artists are involved in the community (architects, painters, photographers, interior designers etc).

Describe a time and place in an image and or art print.

Express a feeling that is displayed.

Compares and contrasts images.

Expresses a preference for one piece over two or three others.

 

Second Grade Vocabulary: (include previous grade levels)

Identify Media: pencils, crayons, pastels, markers, watercolors, tempera, sculpture, clay, found objects, printmaking, collage, and weaving

Color Families: WARM-red, yellow, orange COOL- purple, green, orange

Texture of materials:

 

Misc Terms: Horizon line, Tints and shades, warp, weft, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, rhythm/movement, symmetrical/asymmetrical/radial, geometric/nongeometric, 2-d/3-d, positive/negative

 

Other helpful discussion tools:

Discusses use of symbols in artwork (ex. Hearts, McDonalds sign)

Names subject and themes

Uses context clues to identify time and place.

Discusses simple perspective techniques (diminishing size, overlapping, placement on the picture)

Differences between photographs, paintings, drawings and sculptures

Creates a definition of what is art

Compares and contrasts

Expresses preference for one, two or three pieces

 

Third Grade Vocabulary :( include previous grade levels)

 

Identify media: pencils, crayons, markers, pastels, tempera, watercolor, sculpture, clay, found objects, printmaking,

Color families: Intermediate (yellow-green, red-violet etc), Tints and shades

2-d vs. 3-d forms

Symmetrical/asymmetrical balance

 

Misc. Terms: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, foreground, middle ground, background, relief print, monoprint, slip, score,

Other helpful discussion tools:

Names subject and theme.

Uses context clues to identify time and place.

Identifies artist and culture.

Recognizes media and technique.

Discusses purpose of art (aesthetic, utilitarian).

Original piece vs. a reproduction

Compares and contrasts

Expresses preference and gives reason why.

 

(compiled by Lynn Duhn, art specialist, Still Elementary)

Its time for the Fall Festival...

There are many things happening this week!  I hope to see everyone at the Fall Festival this Friday evening.  Conferences are all this week too, along with Red Ribbon Week.  What a way to bring in autumn, oh and  don't forget to visit the book fair after or before your conferences.

Art classes have been busy creating some awesome art works.  Your students never fail to amaze me with their talents!  I hope you enjoy and dicuss your students art work that they bring home.  This reinforces the elements of art that I have been teaching. 

Why did my child recieve a 2 on his/her report card? (K-3)

In an effort to clear up any confusion I would like to address report card grades. Earning a "2" in art as noted on the report card is "progressing towards meeting the standards" not, "not meeting the standards" which would be a 1.

Several years ago the art teachers in the area were able to meet and part of our discussion and consensus was that we continually build and work our standards into a variety of projects. We discover/learn the elements and principles of art by experimenting with different tools and materials throughout the year. We discussed the student expectations when they come into the art room. We are very  limited due to time. This is because the rotation schedule allows the students to visit the art classroom once every eight days. Projects last several class sessions and continue into the next quarter. 

The first half of the year is built on introducing materials and how they are used properly. Each time we use them our skills  grow stronger. Earning a 2 means that they are learning skills and that  we are always progressing. In the upper grades, 3-5, we should know the basic skills and we work using those techniques and the elements and principles of art to create our own art works. A large part of the grade is also craftsmanship, our neatness in putting things together.

There are standards and requirements for each project that the students work on. Expectations are modeled and mentioned throughout the class period. Students are given time during discussion and also sometimes at the end of class for vocabulary building.

The best way to assist your student in art and in every special is to ask "what did you do today"? Hopefully they will share with you what we did.  It is my job and goal to have all students using the proper vocabulary and master the standards by the end of the year.

Look what we have been doing in art class....

K is continuing to work on lines, shapes and patterns in art.  Our cutting skills have been excellent while creating a clown portrait.  We used all the above and even learned a new printing technique, “sponging”.  Our clowns look great!   We have also been creating a wonderfully formed pumpkin from clay.  Little pumpkins from small hands are exceptionally adorable!  You will be seeing them come home soon.

1^st graders have been learning about a still life in art.  We have been talking about fruit; shapes, forms, colors and texture too!  Our painted bowl of fruit looks good enough to eat! Our next art work will have you a bit worried.  Be sure to look scared when your child brings it home…..

2^nd grade has been busy with creating a symmetrically designed cut paper mask!  It is very decorative and even might frighten those who get caught unknowingly.  Next we will be working on reflections, trees of autumn with warm colors.

In 3^rd grade we are almost finished with our tropical bird art works.  We have a variety of many lines, shapes and colors in our birds, on our leaves and even in the media used….be sure to ask your student about the process!  On our next project, we will be creating a scarecrow, up close and personal!

4^th graders are completing their self-portraits in pencil.  We learned all about facial proportion and hopefully we will remember that our noses are NOT in the middle of our face and our eyes are NOT on our foreheads!  Our next picture will be a “stylized” portrait.

5^th grade is now working on a realistic chalk drawing of pumpkins!  The colors are very vibrant as we are add many “warm” colors to our pumpkins, doing so will make the pumpkins “pop” ! And then we want the background to “recede” so we will be adding cool colors for a contrast!  Coming up, we will be working on a sunflower painting, also with warm and cool colors!

ART SHOW IN MARCH!  SAVE THE DATE!  MARCH 8^TH, 2012

Parents, please save your children’s art works!  Dowell is having an art show in March and your child might want to put one of the pictures they bring home in the show.  I wish I could store everything here, but there is not enough space. 

 

Contests

Below are a few art contests that you may be interested in! 

 

 4th and 5th Graders only!!

WaterSmartSM invites Cobb County 4th and 5th graders to draw their best picture of Ally (the fish mascot for Lake Allatoona) conserving water! A panel of judges will choose 12 winning drawings which will be published in the 2012 Adventures with Allatoona Ally Coloring Book!  Here is the link with all the info: http://www.watersmart.net/action/program1

GEORGIA ASSOCIATION FOR PUPIL TRANSPORTATION

2011 Georgia School Bus Safety Poster Contest

 

Who May Enter:

Any student, grades K-8, enrolled in a Georgia public school. Each county or city system may submit

one poster in each division.

The Local Superintendent or Transportation Director must submit state entries.   Please see Mrs. Nalley for detail if you are interested!!

Welcome Back

Here we are in the 2nd week of school already!  I certainly hope everyone had a great summer.  Dowell has so many wonderful events planned this year, please put them on your calendar early!  Highlight the date for the Arts Night on Mar.8th, 2011.  Mrs. Swint and I are going to make it a night you don't want to miss. The first event is scheduled for the 28th (see below).
We are on the way to creating many beautiful pictures this year.  The first week the students have been reading our "Portfolio" art books and discussing a variety of art works and vocabulary.  There is a standard that requires us to have a "Contextual Understanding" of art.  We are reading about many different artists, different styles of art and disscussing many ways to be creative thinkers. We are learning to "apply this information to enhance the understanding and production of art works".

K this year will begin on a simple review of lines and shapes.  We will then add watercolor for our review of colors. 

1st graders are learning about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and his love of art and music.  We are creating a concentric circle painting and listening to music, just like he did (his favorite was jazz).  Mr. Kandisky thought the circle was the "perfect" shape!

2nd grade will be learning about tints and shades.  They are also studing about Wassily Kandinsky and viewing his "cityscapes".  We will be painting an evening sky with building  silhouettes.

3rd is learning about the rainforest.  We will be creating a realistic bird with exotic plummage! Color mixing, overlapping, variety, balance and picture space in art are our vocabulary words!

4th  graders are working with cut paper and creating repetitive patterns to learn about positive and negative picture space.

5th grade will be drawing a radially designed name with some positive words that descibe themselves.  The designs will be completed by adding color with markers and color pencils.

More reminders!

We have many things to look forward to in the next several weeks!  Tonight is Fitness Night, we hope to see you there with your tennis shoes on!  Tomorrow is Earth Day, so don't forget to wear green!  There are going to be many activities for you to be able to see and learn about how to take care of our earth.  Monday is a fun day!  After the CRCT's its time for a bit of fun, hopefully you will not be out and miss what is happening then!  On Thursday and Friday are career days, don't miss it!  Whew!  See the information below!

CLICKS is taking GROUP photos of the classrooms for FREE on Friday when the teachers sign up!

Students can bring in $1.00 and have an individual picture made.

 

Also see the upcoming PTA event below!

 

Hello Spring

A little bit of rain and a bit of sunshine brings spring!  Dowell has a lot happening in the next few months...Spring break next week, CRCT week, Fitness Night, Earth Day,  and Field day coming!  Please check out the reminders on the teachers blogs and newsletters!  Earth Day T-shirts are available all this week, see all the information below!

Fitness Night Reminder!

ALL ACTIVITIES are FREE!!

 

When: Thursday, April 21^st from 5:30-8pm

Where: Dowell Elementary

What and who will be there?

Special guests: *Kennesaw State University  

* Pro Health and Rehab     *American Cancer Society

*Living Waters Martial Arts Studio    *Gold’s Gym

*Cobb Parks and Recreation      *Cobb County Food & Nutrition

*Osborne High School JROTC

Services: *FREE Vision and Blood Pressure screenings

*Nutritional and fitness tips from nutrition,

health and fitness experts

 

Come join the many fun activities and learn about how to stay healthy!

Hope to see everyone on April 22 with a green "T"!!