First Grade: Cave Paintings!

Our first graders just finished their first project about some of the earliest found forms of art: cave paintings! They learned how cave painters were restricted to using the materials around them, like mineral and rock dust, for color, and how they mainly painted what was important to them, like animals, tools, and man. We also talked about the caves at Lascaux in France, and how they hold some of the oldest paintings found, though there are even older ones in other parts of the world. Here are a few images we looked at as a class:

And here are some of the student's works themselves!

Friendly Reminder: 3rd-5th Grade Curriculum Night

Hello all! Just in case it slipped your mind, here's a quick note to remind you that Curriculum Night for 3rd-5th grade is tomorrow, August 27th at 6:00 in the evening. This is a night specifically directed at parents and guardians of our Archway Arete students who want to know more about what their students are learning this academic year. All homeroom, specialist and assistant teachers will be at the school to further elucidate those present about our curriculum and to hopefully answer any questions you may have about each subject being taught. Please keep in mind this evening is for parents and guardians only.We hope to see you there!

Kindergarten: Line and Doves!!!

Kindergarten has been studying the element of line in art. They have been practicing both natural, curvy lines, and mechanical, straight lines. Below are a few images we viewed as a class to help us recognize line at work. They are works by Hokusai, Picasso, and Matisse respectively.

Finally, the full day Kindergarteners were able to practice the drawing for our upcoming project, which uses Picasso's Dove of Peace as a reference image. Enjoy!

Thank you!

I just wanted to say a brief word of thanks to my students for helping make my birthday a lovely one with their well wishes. One of my students even gave me this wonderful sculpture, of his own creation. It is an excellent example of creativity and ingenuity being used to make something beautiful. Thank you and well done!

Playgrounds, Curriculum Night, and Information Updates!

Hello Archway Families!

I just wanted to check in to let you know that so far, our academic year has gotten off to an excellent start! Classes have been going well so far, and students are just beginning to dig in to some of the exciting things they'll be learning in art this year.

Also, if you are looking to check and see what your child is doing in art class, this is the place to be! However, please be aware that I teach classes for four different grades. I will be updating my blog with information for each grade approximately every other week, so if you are checking weekly, it's possible you might not always find a post about what kindergarten is learning in art each week, but you may get a glimpse of what 4th and 5th grade are doing!

Speaking of what your students are learning, if you have a greater curiosity about what is being taught in art class, as well as your student's various other subjects, please join us for our upcoming Curriculum Night. The purpose of this event is to acquaint you with the school's curriculum and individual classroom procedures across all grade levels. Teachers will give parents an opportunity to ask questions; we look forward to seeing you all at this event. Please see Important Dates side panel for date and time details.

That being said, I hope everyone's week is going wonderfully, and please see the blurb below for some good news about Archway's Arete's endeavors to provide your students with even more space to play and learn:

Dear Archway Families,

Click here to read the exciting opportunity that has brought us one step closer to expanding our playground and building an outdoor classroom! We hope you will accept this challenge. Thank you for your contributions toward making our campus a beautiful place for learning and playing.

Appreciatively,

The Archway Arete Team 

Welcome to the 2015-16 Academic Year!

Dear Archway Arete Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you, whether you be new or returning, to Archway Arete as the new academic year begins. My name is Ms. Arce-Lindsay, and I will be teaching art for Kindergarten, 1^st, and 4^th-5^th grade. This will be my second year working as a Visual Arts teacher for Great Hearts Academies, and I feel truly fortunate to be afforded such an opportunity. I received a degree in Studio Arts from Biola University, and also graduated from the Torrey Honors Institute, a program which specializes in Socratic dialogue centered around classic works of literature, poetry, theology and philosophy. Additionally, I have been working with children in an academic setting for over four years. I feel that these qualifications uniquely outfit me to not only teach your children about art, but to help them see the goodness, truth and beauty in it as well, and there is so much to see!

Fine art, especially the visual arts, is a great passion of mine. I am so excited to have the opportunity to share that passion with your students. This year, we will delve into great works of fine art as we learn how to view them in the light of their historical context. We will learn how to identify the various elements of art used in these works, and how to interact with them with wonder and reason. This year, I hope to see students expand their visual vocabulary, feed their hunger for understanding, and expand their curiosity.

If you have any questions, whether it be about curriculum, class, or even if you would like to know if there are ways you can help, please feel free to contact me. I will be updating my blog regularly, and if you have any questions in particular, please feel free to email me. I have great hopes for this class, and I am eager to work with you to make it a success for you and your students. Here’s to a fantastic year!

With great sincerity,

Ms. Arce-Lindsay

Carce-lindsay@archwayarete.org

http://cal-archwayareteart.blogspot.com