Landscape with Dragons

 Our group painting is finished!  The Dragons spent hours creating this masterpiece, "Landscape with Dragons".   The kids signed up for jobs including: assembling the stretcher bars, stretching the canvas, priming the canvas, and tracing the projected landscape onto the canvas.  The kids took turns painting the landscape in shifts.  They loved it.  Each kid drew a dragon, cut it out, and placed it into the landscape.  Yesterday, I delivered the painting to the Taos Fall Arts Festival.  Our incredible work of art will be on display at the Guadalupe Gym.  It's actually for sale (proceeds will go to our class), but I kind of hope nobody buys it... or maybe I will! 

2nd Grade Blues!

When a kid keeps bringing his harmonica to school... it's time to write the blues.  The kids had fun complaining about all the things about school that give them the blues.  We sang it with bluesy music and, of course, some harmonica solos.  A line I would add to our song after taking these pictures: "Kids always photobombin'!"

Color Wheels: Fractions, Primary, and Secondary Colors!

The Dragons had lots of fun making color wheels this week.  I love kid's art.  It's my favorite...  But I figure a little color theory won't hurt their creative flow.

2nd Grade Girls Rock!

Girls are awesome.  It's hard not to notice that, in 2nd grade, girls can be, well, mean to one another.  So we started a Girls' Club.   We share, listen, and remind each other to be kind.  Thank you to Pam Bishop for helping with this.  Parents, you are welcome to join us for a Girls' Club.  We will meet about once every 2 weeks.  Parents of boys, let me know if you think we need a Boys' Club!  

Welcome, Lighteninghawk!

We are happy to have new student Lighteninghawk join our class.  He is bright, kind, and creative.  Welcome, Lighteninghawk!

Sometimes Book Sharing Makes You Dance!

New students Rowan and Khalifa like to collaborate on writing books.  Here is Rowan sharing with the class while Khalifa dances!

Reading Workshop is a Rousing Success!

The kids and I are loving the Caulkin's Reading Workshop so far!

TISA at the TCA!

The Brass Project is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the power of live music played by the horn section.  Their rendition of  the music from Star Wars brings the house down!

Rowan was chosen to compose music for the band to play! 

Art-o-rama!

Superhero by Aurora! Speaking of superheros, Aurora is one of our first students of the month!

Rio is our other first student of the month!   Here he is with one of his funny,  excellently illustrated comic books.

The Dragons have been busy working on our giant landscape.

Here are Aurora,  Adam,  and Demitri priming the canvas with gesso. Overheard during the priming: "We're like real artists."  

Next came the tracing.  Here are Piper,  Kara,  and Angelique tracing a projected landscape into the primed canvas.

Here is the original landscape drawn by Rowan!

Here are Khalifa, Jerzee, Savannah, and Malyki working together on the first painting shift.

I love kids' art.  It's been so interesting watching how their drawings are changing from 1rst to 2nd grade.  Human figures are getting more attention and detail.  Here Neenah is drawing D'Andre.

Here Demitri has really considered how he will paint his landscape.

The kids are getting inspired by each other's drawings.  Here Asher is observing D'Andre at work.

Summer Reading Awards!

Congratulations to Neenah and Angelique 

for completing the Summer Reading Program!!

These girls love books.