Balance

Dads were out in full force last Saturday, giving some much needed TLC to our garden beds and flagpole area in and around the entryway to school.  This hardworking group was on campus for the better part of the day, taking out old shrubbery and trees, clearing away undergrowth, mulching, and planting vibrant new offerings.  Looks great!  Thanks to all the gentlemen who worked, most especially to Brian Yarbrough and Scott Rogillio, for organizing the effort and for the humor shared along the way.  Job well done.  

I was able to make a quick visit to Sunday's AISD art show at One Congress Plaza and am really glad I did.  As you can see from the picture below, HP was well represented and the entire space was a sea of color as all schools were on display.  HP's Matisee and Kabuki representations were especially eyecatching and well done.  Seeing the elementary to middle to high school skill progression truly underscores what kids can do with consistent, high quality art instruction. 

Lia Nudelman was in the throes of her historical novel unit when I stopped by her class this week.  As you may remember, this unit came about from the grade 2-5 aligned language arts planning day she completed with three teachers in the fall.  Students were reviewing artwork and artists from mid-century New York, all of which tied to the novel they had read,  Bette Bao Lord's In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. Parent Christy Savage was facilitating the art connection discussion, eliciting student feedback about the displayed art of Elaine de Kooning, Edward Hopper, and Jasper Johns, specifically how those artists from the novel's general time period, used brushstrokes, setting, and more to elicit different emotions.  I also saw a quite large graphic organizer detailing some of the brainwork students had completed with Mrs. Nudelman, with lists tied to cultural differences between America and China, setting details of China and Brooklyn, then/now statements, and a detailed section on the main character, Shirley Temple Wong.  Some of the ideas students had generated dealt with the practical, such as the fact that in 1947, “icebox” was something new - imagine that!  And other student ideas listed were more serious.  For example, in the 1940's, people generally used the word “negro” in everyday language, a term that now is no longer accepted or preferred.  Students also recorded in the now column “all types of people play professional sports”, in reference to Jackie Robinson and his role in breaking the color barrier in the world of major league baseball.  Mrs. Nudelman tells me there has been much meaningful conversation around these topics (would have loved to have heard it!), with kids thinking critically on how life has changed in many ways since mid-century times.   
 
Thursday and Friday Mrs. Nudelman's students did indeed begin their artwork based on one of the criteria listed on the graphic organizer and, most importantly, were given choice on the book section that was most meaningful to them; this guided self-selection is important, most especially for the advanced learner.  Students will then use the art as a next-step springboard to some writing I hear, explaining their choice in art/section/artist.   Along with this connected study of art relevant to the time period and topics relevant to the book, Mrs. Nudelman shared that students additionally made a mobile of the Chinese zodiac animals and charted the chapters as they went, identifying main idea, setting, and emotions.  She has some terrific ideas of where this unit will go next - think radio drama, research papers, and more - but what a solid start this year.  Fruits of earlier planning now being reaped.    

You see a lot in this blog about the arts as part of our year long celebration, but as you know there are many other programs happening as well - it's all about balance.  I caught Mrs. Powers doing her thing in the area of Scientific Spelling one morning and I loved what I saw. Scientific Spelling is our schoowide spelling program and I'm truly impressed by what our students know about spelling rules at this point in the school year. In SS, students learn the rules of spelling with the rationale of being able to better spell an unfamiliar word if they know the rule that applies to it.  For example, if a student knows the Floss Rule - and they do! - ("Floss" Rule= If a one syllable base word ends in the (f), (l) or (s) sound immediately after a short vowel, the final consonant is doubled) they are more capable of correctly spelling words such as tiff, full, and glass.  I heard students readily, when prompted, coding words in their journals and articulating it when prompted; codes such as accent, arc, circumflex. That's pretty cool. Balance between things kids must know, learning the "why" behind what they know (and applying it), and then connecting to things beyond the lesson are important for all children.  Thanks Mrs. Powers!

Finally, the Fine Arts Showcase took place Thursday evening and I think it's safe to say that our inaugural event went well.  We had a large crowd of parents and students, with Scottie Singer performances, Austin Film Kids student created clips, a Zach Scott K-2 skit, and even a dance by The Troupe!  This was our small way of highlighting our own special area offerings, as well as the after school arts offerings on campus.  Many parents stayed to visit the booths set up in our halls and it was fun being together in celebration of the arts.  Lots of ideas already floating around for next year's showcase, but what a fun kick-off!

Surprise vist from mindPOP's Dr. Hasty!