Hope you had a happy weekend parents, families and kids!
Just wanted to share some of what we did last week. Please find the Major below and check out what your kids have been up to (in case they are like mine and like to respond in one word responses).😂
ADVANCED STUDIO ART
In Advance Studio Art this week, the students are working on drawing from life. They are creating a number of still life drawings using pencil, ink pen and watercolor. They will also be introduced to
a variety of drawing tools such as blenders, kneaded erasers and eraser pencils. The students will use these tools to aid them in perfecting value gradation in their drawings.
CHOREOGRAPHY FOR THE STAGE
This week our class has been creating choreography in small groups for the camp performance. We have also been practicing across the floor combinations and contemporary choreography. Next we will focus on creating formations and spatial relationships with other dancers.
HIP HOP AWARENESS
This week we have been working on our first dance, and almost completed! This week was about it's music. So we had to be aware of why Hip- Hop was created. We listened to and jammed out to a good variety of hip- hop music; noticing the difference between each song and meaning behind them!
MARVELOUS MOSAICS
Marvelous Mosaics Majors and minors have learned to safely cut, set and grout glass. Young mosaic artists have each completed a finished piece for Fathers Day! Our mastered vocabulary this week is Base, Grout, Interstice, Mosaic, Opus, Smalti, Tesserae, and Tile nipper, wheeled cutter. Majors are working on collecting plastic and designing a kinetic installation of underwater sea life for the final exhibit. Please send any clear, blue, green and peach recycles.
MOVED TO MOVE
The dancers in Moved to Move have spent the week working on their modern dance technique. In addition to that, they have begun a process called source-booking, where they write journal entries about research and personal reflection to draw inspiration for the piece they'll be performing on the last day. As of right now, about 2 minutes of the dance is already choreographed, which goes to show how focused and hard-working these dancers are. Every day, we end our time together with an improv jam. On Monday, no more than 5 people chose to dance in the improv jam. By the end of the week, there was such clear growth in confidence that nearly every person chose to dance at some point. Next week, we will continue to work on technique, source booking, choreography, and improvisation.
NOW @ WORK
Now@Work - Completed collages based on the book The Perfect Square by MichaelHall and the painting by Alma Thomas, The Eclipse. Next week they will do "book art" based on Eric Carle, Lois Ehlert and Leo Lionni. They will end their program with books by Dr. Seuss. Next week will be work based on Henri Matisee (1869-1954) . . . still lifes and cut outs/cut paper.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND LIGHT
This week in Photo and Light Science we studied the difference between mixing colors in paint and mixing colors with light. We learned about the pointillism paintings created by George Seurat and compare them to the pixels that make up a computer screen. Students also created a photograph with sunlight and light sensitive paper. This process is known as Cyanotype.
PLAYWRITING AND ACTING
We love our young playwrights and actors! This week, they are improvising and writing original scenes about Christopher Columbus, The First Thanksgiving, Paul Revere, Crossing the Delaware, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis & Clark, Underground Railroad, California Gold Rush, Abraham Lincoln, and The Civil War. We can't wait to see their original play!
POWER GUITAR
The students have been surfing the waves of 60s surf rock and settling on the tunes they'll be sharing for the showcase. Wipeout, Miserlou and singable songs like Surfin' USA and Surf City. We've analyzed the selections for their formal structures and tabbed out the tunes and written out the chord progressions. In short, after week one: we're ready to rock. This year's participants are a mixture of seasoned guitar students and students with backgrounds in orchestral strings which transition well to the guitar.
Surf's Up!
PRESS START
"Press Start!" the musical is off to a great start! This week students were introduced to the world of 90s video game characters, music created electronically and many, MANY acting techniques. The show has been cast and we are well on our way to a great production for our students. Be on the lookout for an email from the teachers with the musical tracks for home practice. Additionally, we are a nut free classroom, so please be aware of this as students are bringing snacks. Thank you!
ROCKIN' PAPER SCISSORS
This has been a full week of fun and creativity! We have explored the works of Henry Matisse, learned the art of origami and created sculptures out of recycled paper. The children have begun working on a group instillation for the final art show and discussed various artist in the community! We are looking forward to creating many more little masterpieces over the next two weeks!
SMAART SINGERS
Put 42 children, 3 teenagers, and 2 adults in a room at
SMAART Camp, and what do you get? Why, SMAART Singers, of course! Every year we
say, “This is the best group we’ve ever had!” Well, guess what? It’s true
again! This is the best group we’ve ever had! Harnessing all this energy and
forcing it between pairs of young vocal cords? What a wonderful challenge!
Please ask your Singer to share with you what they’re doing in class. We are
using sponges and sea shells (spirals) as props, and every Singer needs a box
or tub or crate to keep themselves organized. Please don’t hesitate to contact
either teacher if you have questions or comments.
SMAART STRINGS
The SMAART Strings program is off to a great start this week! The students participate each day in one of two orchestras: Primo and Finale. We begin each morning with stretches and fundamentals time where we work on developing our technique and learn ensemble skills as an orchestra. Both groups are making a lot of progress on their concert music that you will get the chance to hear at our final concert. In addition to orchestra, each student was placed into a chamber group that they rehearse with for an hour each day. In these chamber groups, students gain valuable experience working with peers, making musical decisions, and growing as individual musicians. Students are also exploring alternative styles of music such as fiddling and jazz for an hour each day. We are fortunate to work with a great group of students and look forward to another two weeks of making amazing music!
STEEL DRUMS
Steel Drums is off to an amazing start! We are currently working on 3 songs. We have already completed Soca Jammers and are half way through a calypso tune called "Both of Them" and Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling". This is a really gifted class and we are excited for the what we can accomplish the next two weeks!
STOMP DOWN SOUTH
We are moving right along, exploring the textures and sounds of cans, brooms, basketballs, buckets and more! Students are learning to read drum sticking notation and rhythms. We are excited to share our hard work and creativity. Parents, we have a morning snack time and it is a bit chilly in our room so please send a healthy snack daily and have your student bring a sweatshirt.
WIND & PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
In Winds and Percussion, we have been diligently rehearsing a variety of music of all different styles. We start off the mornings in full band rehearsal, then split off into sectionals to work on individual parts. In the afternoon, the students have been playing steel drums, doing a bucket drumming percussion ensemble, and learning more about the music world around them. The students' work will culminate in a performance on Thursday, June 28th at 6:30pm. We will be sending home a letter with details in the coming days.
