Post Contributed by Jocelyne Adkins, Program Director
In
Beye Discovery, being resourceful is an important component of our program. We
are fortunate to have a wonderful network of parents, neighbors and community
members who donate items for artmaking that might otherwise have been
considered trash or designated for the recycle bin.
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| Cassie |
Following our Labor Day Holiday, we collaged colorful paper swatches, originally intended for use by
interior designers (a big thank you to Kelly Cleveland for this terrific
donation!). Students were encouraged to explore the material and to
create what came to mind. For students who needed a more structured start to
the activity, we shared a collage method to create simple positive/negative
designs: by cutting into one paper square and then attaching it on top of
another paper square of a different color, a bold figure/ground design can often emerge.
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| Aniika and Yeoeun |
Chan,
a 4th grader who enjoys origami, taught several students how to
make a beautiful flower design and Yinka, another 4th grader, made a delicate
origami swan and taught Leila, a 5th grader, how to do the same. Collaged and
silhouetted sharks were quite popular with a few of our youngest students : )
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| Chan |
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| Yinka |
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| Yinka |
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| Sonia |
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| Mark |
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| Shlok |
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| Phillip |
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| Chan |
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| Phillip |
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| Shlok and Phillip |
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| Ashley |
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| Cassie |
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| Asa |
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| Anika |
On
Wednesday, we had fun with small triangular shaped cardboard packaging material
(a re-purposed item that a family member rescued from the recycle bin at work).
Children were encouraged to use the material in any number of ways from
stacking or arranging into 3-D designs or collapsing the triangles for use in
collages, etc. Joey, a fifth grader used colorful glitter glue drizzled all over his
house-like form and this technique inspired many others to do the same ~ the
children loved it!
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| Shlok |
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| Shlok, aerial view, elephant sculpture |
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| Joey |
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| Valen, mixed media collage |
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| Timmy, mixed media collage |
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| Sonia |
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| Ella |
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| D.S. |
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| Chan |
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| Chan and Yeoeun |
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| Yeoeun |
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| Sonia, mixed media |
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| O.S. |
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| Jenna |
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| Jenna and Ella |
On Thursday we read the children's picture book, "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis. It's a fabulously illustrated book, demonstrating the wonderful possibilities that a single box has to offer to child's imagination. For our activity, we gave each student a small tissue or pasta box to be transformed, led by their fantastic imaginations. There were many unique ideas ~ from catch-alls to a raindrop collection bin and even a movie theatre ~ do have a look below : )
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| Asa's Catch-All |
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| Shlok's Hat |
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| Ashley |
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| Leila's Theatre, in progress |
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| Leila, front entrance to Theatre (doors open to show the audience within!) |
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| ticket window |
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| Inside the theatre |
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| Movie posters: Spirit, opening Sept. 11th and Cupcake, opening December 31st |
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| Cassie's TV |
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| Laila's Raindrops |
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| Laila cutting her raindrops |
On Thursday, we also made bookmarks to give to children as part of The Neighborhood Giving Project's partnership with PCC Community Wellness Center and their "Reach out and Read" literacy program. During each well visit, a new book is "prescribed" to each child and the importance of reading is discussed. Our students' handmade bookmarks (using re-purposed cardstock* for decorations) will be included inside these books!
*post cards, invitations, packaging and unsolicited material sent in the mail
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| Ms. Blakely |
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| Cassie |
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| Asa |
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| Casie |
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| Norah and Emily |
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| Leila |
Below are all the bookmarks the children made today ~ nice work students!!!
