Truffula Trees

Kindergarten students are making Truffula trees (from the movie, The Lorax) today on their extra art day!!!

Students are drawing a horizon line (where the sky and ground meet), coloring their sky, choosing three colored Popsicle sticks, coloring black lines on the sticks, gluing the sticks down, then using fun paint stampers to make the tree tops. Very simple project and cute for our limited 20ish minute time frame. 

Read Across America Week

Teachers are decorating their doors for next week's Read Across America week, celebrating Dr. Seuss. Below is the one I painted for the art room.

Self Portraits

Students are being introduced to self portraits. To create a self portrait, I have th children use their hands to feel their face before looking in a mirror. When the child can feel his/her face, they are more successful at drawing themselves vs seeing something I the mirror and not knowing or figuring out how to draw what they see. 

I am reading the book, It's Okay to be Different, by Todd Parr, and discussing with the children how everyone will have a different self portrait because we are all different. I feel it is important to acknowledge how every student looks differently and we should celebrate our differences. The first week, students are only drawing their self portrait. Next week, students will pick out appropriate skin, eye, hair and lip colors. We will blend colors if needed and we will make sure we talk about our skin being peach, chocolate, tan, apricot, etc. colors.

Sprinkle at School

K teachers held a "sprinkle" for me last week during lunch. Below are a few pictures before it started. I work with such a thoughtful, amazing group of educators.

36.5 Week Picture

This is my 36.5 week picture. All baby. Feeling good and baby is snug as a bug (Thankfully!) Baby is roughly 19" long already and 6#. My husband and I are both tall and have lots of tall family members (6'8" brother in law, etc.) Baby girl is expected to be around 8#, 6oz, so we will see!  

Maternity Leave Information!!!

KINDERGARTEN ART INFORMATION

Dear Parents,

            I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of my maternity leave and give you some information about my long term sub.  After much consideration, my husband and I have decided that I will take the rest of the year off to spend with our daughter (I will return in August). We are thrilled to be able to make this happen and know it will be very beneficial for our family!  I will continue to teach until my due date which is March 11th and at that time Lauren Spires will take over. Mrs. Spires and I will be in close contact throughout the remainder of the year. I have given her ample amounts of information about our classroom, the routines, and the students so she will know what to expect when she gets here. Mrs. Spires has voluntarily come in a couple times already.

            Mrs. Spires will be in the classroom shadowing me starting March 9th. Mrs. Spires has a Masters in Visual Arts Education from the University of Cincinnati's department of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) program, and has taught summer art camps, gallery education programs, and Saturday art courses. Mrs. Spires has gained experience working with diverse groups of both elementary and high school students while student teaching in Covington and Mason. Lauren is passionate about art and education, and can't wait to begin.

            Mrs. Spires will also be setting up the Kindergarten Art Show for me on Tuesday, April 26^th. The art show is in conjunction with Book Fair’s Family Night. Please mark your calendar!!! I plan to make an appearance that night to say hi. More information will come home next month.

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1. Mrs. Spires contact information:   spiresl@masonohioschools.com
   1. Please email Lauren if you need to discuss something or get ahold of her. My voicemail will still be set up and I’m not sure if she will have access to it.
2. Kindergarten art show in conjunction with Book Fair- April 26^th 5:30-7:30pm
3. Kindergarten Art Blog: I’m still updating the classroom blog. Please check it out for information!!!!!   www.mrsvardasartroom.blogspot.com
   COLORFULLY YOURS,
               MRS. VARDA

Reading Challenge Art

Mrs. Bly asked if I could create a tracking chart for our school's Reading Challenge, so below is a picture of what I created for the school on my planning time. 

Rain Barrel for the Cincinnati Zoo

Exciting news! I have signed up for a rain barrel to paint/decorate for the Cincinnati Zoo to be auctioned off and I am going to utilize the kindergarten students to paint it.
http://www.savelocalwaters.org/


Our theme is Piet Mondrian since students already learned about this artist and created art like him in the beginning of the year.  We have to sand, prime then paint it. I will probably do the sanding so the children don't inhale dust. My long term sub, Lauren Spires, will also be helping with his project. I plan to start this March 8th...Stay tuned!