Art Chairs!!

"Sitting in Style"

Seventh and Eighth grade art students from Dynamic Design and Cats in Motion have been painting chairs to benefit the PTO at City School. These chairs were inspired by famous paintings and children's books. The PTO is planning to auction the chairs sometime soon. Stay tuned for more information.

8th Grade Artist Wins Local Lions Club Poster Contest

Congratulations to Dynamic Design 8th grader Jennah Garrison for her winning entry in the local Lions Club Poster Contest. The theme this year was "The Power of Peace". Her poster now has moved on to the state level of this international contest Congratulations Jennah!

http://sites.google.com/a/stacsvt.org/dynamicdesign/unified-arts-connection

4th Grade Composers-Incredibles

4th graders from the Incredibles have become composers. First, they learned to write songs using the notes they know on the recorder. Next they used Groovy Jungle to put their songs on the computers. Here are some of their compositions.

Click to hear music files

Schedule for HMS Pinafore Auditions & Rehearsals

Any student in Grades 5-8 is welcome to be in our musical production. The schedule should be considered before you decide to be a part of the show. We are going to have two meetings in December to read through the show. They will be on Tuesday, December 15 and Friday December 18 from 3:30-4:30 in room A1. Auditions for the leads will be held on Tuesday, January 4 and Friday January 8th from 3:30-4:30 in room A1.

In January we will practice every Tuesday & Friday from 3:30-5:30. In February it will be the same schedule, plus we will practice on Saturdays February 6 & 13 from 1:00-3:00. In March we will have the same schedule of Tuesday, Friday and Saturday for the first three weeks. Dress rehearsals and performances will be the 3rd week of March. A detailed calendar will be passed out in December. I'm looking forward to starting our work. If you have any questions, please contact Miss Jarvis at jarvisa@sacsvt.org

Gorillas in Kindergarten!

Mr. Galle's Kindergarten Art classes turned a page of shapes into a colorful gorilla. Each student was given a photocopy with shapes. They had to add lines, shapes and colors of their own to decorate the page. Once finished, they had to cut and glue the pieces together to create a dynamic gorilla. This is just one example, but each was unique and exciting. I went bananas when I saw them all!

The Story of HMS Pinafore

Some time before the opening of Act 1, Ralph has fallen in love with Josephine, the daughter of Captain Corcoran, commander of HMS Pinafore. Buttercup, a peddler woman, has fallen in love with the Captain. Social class and pride keep both the Captain and his daughter from returning this affection, although both would like to do so. The Captain has pledged his daughter in marriage to Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty, who is in a social class even higher than the Corcorans'.

At the opening of Act 1, the sailors are busy preparing the ship for Sir Joseph's visit. Ralph and Josephine each sing a sad song bemoaning the fact that they both love in vain. Buttercup hints that she is hiding a secret, and Dick Deadeye grumbles that there is only trouble in store.

Sir Joseph arrive, attended by his sisters, cousins and aunts. He explains how he became Lord of the Admiralty and examines the crew, assuring them they are any man's equal, excepting his own!

Josephine finds Sir Joseph unbearable. Ralph confesses his love to Josephine. When she rejects him, he threatens suicide. She then confesses her love for him and they agree to elope. The act ends with great rejoicing.

Act II finds the Captain in despair that his daughter is not happy with Sir Joseph. Buttercup tries to cheer him, saying there is a change in store. Sir Joseph appears and says he wishes to call off the marriage since Josephine does not take kindly to him. The Captain suggests that his daughter may feel inferior to Sir Joseph and urges him to tell Josephine that difference in social rank should not be a barrier to marriage. Sir Joseph does this, not knowing that he is really convincing Josephine that it is acceptable for her to marry Ralph! Sir Joseph thinks she as accepted him and they are all happy again.

Dick Deadeye informs the Captain of the planned elopement and the Captain angrily halts the couple's get-away. Sir Joseph hears the disturbance, learns what has happened, sends the Captain to his cabin in disgrace and orders Ralph put in irons.

Buttercup must now come out with her secret: She tells that many years ago she was a nurse and had in her charge two babies - one a commoner and one of noble birth. Her secret is that she made the dreadful error of exchanging the babies, so that when they grew up, the nobleman became a sailor - Ralph - and the commoner became the Captain of HMS Pinafore. Sir Joseph orders the two men to assume their real identities, which prevents him from marrying Josephine (the daughter of a commoner), but permits her to marry Ralph and her father to marry Buttercup. Sir Joseph is left with Cousin Hebe. There is great rejoicing for a happy ending!

Musical Being Planned

Yes, there will be a musical play at City School this year. We will really miss the guidance of Mrs. Smith as our Drama teacher (who retired last year), but I have promised her and the students that this tradition will continue. Any student in grades 5,6, 7 and 8 is welcome to be a part of this production. Auditions are held for the lead roles, but a student may participate without auditioning, if they choose. Students who decide to be a part of this show must commit to the rehearsal schedule.

I have chosen the operetta H.M.S Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan. (This is the same team who brought us Pirates of Penzance which City School has staged in the past.) One of the fun things about this show is that the chorus is on stage for much of the time. Everyone in the cast will have alot to do!

Rehearsals will begin in January (which is our usual schedule). Almost all the rehearsals will take place on Tuesday and Friday after school and also on some Saturdays.

The art department has graciously accepted the task of creating the sets.

Since I am taking on the task of both the dramatic (with some help) and the musical direction, I am hoping that there will be parents who are willing to help with props, costumes, publicity and whatever other tasks arise. If you are interested in helping, or if you have any questions, the best way to contact me is via email at jarvisa@sacsvt.org.

I'm looking forward to the challenge of this, and working with the students. Doing these productions is my very favorite activity here at City School.

Team Discovery Drum Circle

Team Discovery Drum Circle

Students from Team Discovery are playing drums. Every Wednesday morning we gather together to play congas, djembes, gathering drums, bongos, tubanos and dumbeks. We also will be playing other percussion instruments as we gather throughout the fall. We are using the drum circle as a community building activity. 75 students ( grades 4-6) participate in the activity.

Warm & Cool Monsters

Ah! Look out! Monsters! Check out this sampling of monsters drawn by 2nd Graders from Mr. Galle's and Mrs. Brown's art class! The students learned about warm and cool color schemes, and then created monsters that illustrated their choice. Does one of these pictures remind you of being someplace warm? Is there one that makes you feel chilly? That's the power of warm and cool monsters...and colors!

Line and Shape in 1st Grade

These first few weeks, the 1st Graders have experimented with the building blocks of Art: Line and Shape. Once they are proficient with these techniques, they can start to learn and use the other elements and principlest. Mr. Galle's class created Line Design Turtles and Robot Collages to practice their skills.

Technology Design -- Land Sailing

Middle school students are designing and testing model land yachts, sailing craft that move on land rather than water. Our hope is to make a version large enough to haul a student.

Mr. Smith
Middle School E-Learning
Http://Site3E.Com

City School Band/String Program

The beginning of this school year has been challenging in trying to build a music lesson schedule during the school day. One of the features of the new team approach has been to have exploratories within grade levels at different times during the school day. This would require music students to possibly miss core academic classes, rather than classes in art, music, practical arts, technology, and occasionally core classes for strong music students, as we have done in the past. I have been reluctant to propose that this happen, as we have restructured to improve student performance in math and language.

What I would like to do, as a way to start lessons, is this. I am willing to give lessons for 6th grade band and string students, after school, 4 days a week. These lessons would be in the music room (the new and improved band room) and would be for a half hour on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. I could have lessons at 3:15, 3:45, and 4:15. Students who stay after school, are welcome to be in the music room before their lessons, where I would take the responsibility for their supervision. Our full Jr. Band rehearsals are still in the school day, on Tuesday and Thursdays during recess. As a “thank you” to your young musicians for giving up 2 recess periods a week, I am hosting all band students and a friend, to eat lunch in the music room and show a movie, while they “dine”. This is the City School version of Dinner and a Movie.

As I build this lesson schedule, I will try to get individual students in lessons during the school day, as much as possible, but given the importance of the core subjects, the after school lesson may be the only possible option available. I will be calling parents over the weekend and the beginning of next week, to get your imput on if this will work, and to work out the details.

The only thing that I would ask, is that your kids occasionally endure my greyhound, Maggie, and golden retriever, Belle, who are both VERY GOOD PUPPIES, as I am reluctant to leave them at home alone 2 more hours a day!

I am hopeful that we can get more lessons back into the school day as the kinks in our new schedules are worked out, and I believe that this adjustment will enable us to get going. Thank you.

Frank Mehaffey

8th Grade Super-Sized Superheroes

Okay, so the title is misleading--only a few students actually chose superheroes. The rest took cartoon characters. Everyone followed the same steps to create poster-sized paintings. Once they settled on a character, they printed a hardcopy, traced over it with overhead transparency, and projected it onto poster board. The enlarged drawings were traced, inked and painted with tempera. I'm really impressed. In fact, I think they're super!

Which Came First...?

The Kindergarten classes have been caring for eggs for the last three weeks, and they've finally started hatching (the eggs, not the K's). Our Digital Storytelling Learning Lab students were on the scene to capture the action.

This video has been edited for time and formatted to fit your TV screen.

2009 District Art Show

In preparation for the upcoming regional art show, I thought it might be nice to revisit the district art show from earlier this year. This video should give you an idea of the wide variety of materials, techniques and projects being offered by the City School Art teachers.

Franklin County Regional Art Show

Please join us Monday, May 4th-May 11th for the Franklin County Regional Art Show at Collin-Perley Sports Complex in St. Albans. This show features the work of K-12 students from our district and area schools in Franklin County. There will be an opening reception on May4th from 5:30-7:00. Come and support the artists in your community!

Student Activities to Write About

Students in the 21 Century Writing Skills Learning Lab have been commenting on BLOGs and Podcasts long enough. Now they're doing something about it.
-- Bottle Rockets
-- Web Widgets
-- & Videos (Oh My!)

Http://21stSkills.Blogspot.Com

Harry Bliss Visits City School!

Author/Illustrator Harry Bliss came to City School on Monday to share his work and insights with K-4 students. He showed slides of his various work, including magazine covers, book illustrations, and sample cartoons. After a short presentation, he played "The Scribble Game" with students. Children were selected from the audience to draw a scribble (a simple shape or line) on the page, and Mr. Bliss put his skills to work changing the simple scribble into a fantastic drawing. The students were very excited and seemed very pleased with the opportunity to meet this local artist. Thanks for visiting City School, Harry Bliss!

Harry Bliss to present at City School

Local cartoonist/illustrator Harry Bliss is scheduled to visit St. Albans City School on Monday April 13. He'll be sharing and drawing with a group of 7th graders, as well as addressing a larger group in an elementary school assembly.

Stay tuned to this blog for pictures and stories about the day!