First Annual Anderson Art Fair

Hello Anderson Families,
Ms. Cromley here with some really exciting news to share!!!!! We are going to have our first ever art show this year at Anderson.  I got together with the PTA and we brainstormed a plan for a new and exciting art night and we came up with having an art show to showcase the amazing talent of our Anderson Artists.  There is a great company out there called Kids Art Fairs that we are working with to put this on.  They provide all the paper, frames and display stands for our art fair free of charge!!!!!!!!  You will be able to purchase your child's art in an awesome matted frame at hugely discounted prices.  What a wonderful keepsake to display in your home for years to come.  I can't wait for this event it will be an awesome way to end our year. Our art show will be:

Date:  May 20th, 2013
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Place: Anderson Elementary

I will be sending home lots of information via e-mail and with students starting after spring break.  Keep your eyes peeled Anderson Peeps!!!!!

www.kidsartfairs.com

Pinch Pot Turkeys

Second grade students created pinch pots for their clay project this year.  They created a pinch pot and then added details to create a turkey.  We painted them with tempra paints and then added feathers to finish the turkeys.

Fifth Grade 1pt perspective cityscapes

Fifth grade has been working on creating cities using 1pt perspective.  I think they have done a great job as this is a pretty tricky concept to master.

4th grade and The Dot

My 4th graders are working on creating art inspired by the story The Dot. We watched a really great You Tube video of the dot being read.  Then we discussed patterns and abstract compositions.  The students used any and everything in the art room to create circles and dots all over their papers with Sharpie markers.  Next week we will use liquid watercolors and add color to our Dot inspired works.

What to do the first week of school

I think every teacher, especially a specials teacher wonders what to do the first week of school.  We always make portfolios that we use to store and sort all the students art work during the school year.  I hold on to most of my students art for art shows and for displays. Each grade level makes one of these portfolios except kindergarten.  Kindergarten makes an art book but that is for another post.

I have each student use a manilla paper for the front and a colored paper for the back. We use 18x11 paper as I find that this fits nicely into my storage cubbies and it also holds all the papers we use for most projects with just a little sticking out. I have each student put their name really large on the front of the folder along with their teacher name and grade somewhere on the front too.  I use this opportunity to teach a lettering lesson for each grade.  For 3rd, 4th and 5th we discuss block and bubble lettering as well as positive and negative space.  The older students also put patterns on the inside of their letters.  Many of the students take it above and beyond with their creativity.  With my younger students we practice writing really BIG letters (always a challenge) and then I encourage them to turn their letters into creatures or different objects.  They can also place their name in a unique environment like outer space or the mountains. To staple the folders I have the older students use 4 to 5 staples for the 2 short sides and the bottom leaving the top open creating a pocket folder.  I staple the folders for the younger studets which may seem like a lot but I just do one table at a time while they are working on them in class.

These projects help me and my students get organized while starting the year off with fun and easy art that everyone enjoys making.

Welcome Back Anderson Artists!!!

I can't believe it is the beginning of a new school year already.  I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing summer.  I had a wonderful time traveling with my family and our dogs.  We had plans to go to the beach but we are flexible at home just like at Anderson and instead we went to Michigan.  It was AMAZING and I highly recommend a trip there if you ever have the chance.  We drove all the way there with our 5th Wheel travel trailer and our 2 dogs.  We spent time at the Great Lakes and at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shore Area.  Lots of hiking and swimming and we even snuck in a little shopping too.

I am excited to begin my 12th year teaching art at Anderson and I know that we are going to make some masterpieces together this year.  If you made any cool art this summer I would love to see it and I can't wait to hear all your stories about your summer vacations. See you at meet the teacher night this Friday.

Yearbooks are Here!!!!!!!

Yearbooks will be distributed during the yearbook signing party.  The signing party will be hosted during students’ specials class times on Friday June 1^{st (last day of school)}.  All students will have the opportunity to fellowship with friends, join in some spirit songs and sign yearbooks.

Students who did not purchase a yearbook have the opportunity to make a signature book in art with Ms. Cromley or purchase a yearbook in the front office on Thursday May 31^st. 

We have a very limited number of these books to sell and it will be first come first served.  The all color yearbooks cost $25.00 and must be purchased using cash with exact change. If you purchase a book in the office we will hold it for your student and distribute them with all other yearbooks.

If you are unsure if you purchased a yearbook all classroom teachers, Ms. Cromley and Ms. Blandford have a list of students who pre-purchased a yearbook. If your student will not be at school to receive their pre-purchased yearbook please contact Ms. Cromley (cromleyc@friscoisd.org or 469-633-2342) to make alternate arrangements for yearbook pick-up.

                                                                   Thank You

                                                                    Ms. Cromley

                                                                           and

                                                                    Ms. Blandford

                                                                Yearbook advisers