Art Term 1 Newsletter
Meet the Art Teacher- Ms Suzanne Reid
Hello!
Lovely to be back to school with all the amazing artists I teach each day. I have been at Cheltenham East Primary school for almost 15 years! I love it and love getting kids passionate about art. Since my own days in primary school I have wanted to be an art teacher, so I am living the dream. I have 2 almost grown up children who also attended this school so I feel very connected to the school community. When I am not teaching art, I am busy playing with art making of my own, visiting exhibitions with my sister, taking my dog Rosie to the beach or on the couch with my cat Kitty watching art shows with my family.
Welcome to Term 1
The year has started really well, with all students creating framed artworks all about themselves, which is of course everyones favourite topic! Look out for some examples of our first self portraits, along with drawings of our family, holiday destination, favourite animals, food, preferred activities and even an insight into our future self! Check out the display of some of these in the main corridor near the staff room.
Teaching and Learning in Art
Across all year levels, Art lessons are designed with engagement in mind and incorporate the development of art skills, imagination and creativity. The learning intentions are based around the elements of art and principles of design. Students learn about other artists and explore a wide range of media throughout the year.
This term the whole school focus is on drawing and painting.
Foundation
The first term for Foundation students is about settling in, getting to know you and following art room expectations and routines. Foundation students are given opportunities to share their art ideas through drawing and painting on paper. They are developing listening skills through stories about colours and shapes and learning to follow simple instructions about using art supplies and packing up. Foundation students explore drawing from imagination and through observation when drawing toys. They also learn to follow step by step teacher guided drawings of subjects with simple shapes. Most artworks focus on lines, shapes and colours. They are learning to use and share art supplies such as crayons, oil pastels and paint with those at their table. Foundation students learn to go on a gallery walk when their art is completed and admire the work of their classmates.
Year 1 and 2
Students are developing their skills in communicating their ideas through drawing and painting. They learn about art and artists through picture story books and create artworks inspired by illustrations. In year 1 and 2 students become more experienced in drawing recognisable subjects in guided drawing sessions. They make their drawings unique and include details from their own imagination and observational skills. Subjects they enjoy drawing include animals, seascapes, transport and still life. Concepts such as symmetry, and primary and secondary colours are explored. Perspective is explained in terms of here, near and far when creating basic landscapes. Students use a variety of art making media such as crayons, chalk and oil pastels, as well as tempera pan paints to create art works. Students go on a gallery walk when their art is completed and learn to talk about what they like about art works that they view.
Year 3 and 4
Students become more expressive in communicating their ideas through drawing and painting. They learn about art styles and artists through looking at images and learning about the artists' lives and influences. They use these artworks as inspiration for their own work in that style. In Year 3 and 4, students are moving beyond directed drawing to using drawing guides and observational drawing. They become better at creating representational images and include more detail and texture to their artworks. Subjects they enjoy drawing include landscapes, fantasy, animals and transport. Concepts such as positive and negative space, and basic perspective are explored. Students use a variety of art-making media such as pencils, chalk and oil pastels, charcoal, markers, watercolours and acrylic paint to create art works. They learn about warm and cool colours, colour value and use blending and shading techniques. Students are able to communicate their ideas through art and are given opportunities to share their art in gallery walks as well as presenting their work to the group.
Year 5 and 6
Students explore how visual artists work and explain how ideas are expressed through the artworks they make and view. They explore these processes to create artworks of their own. In year 5 and 6, students use drawing guides, outlines, tracing techniques and observe images of their subject, to plan and create their detailed drawings. Concepts such as radial symmetry, one point and two point perspective are explored. They explore architecture and landscapes from around the world as subject matter. Students use a wide variety of quality art making media such as pencils, chalk and oil pastels, charcoal, markers, watercolours and acrylic paint to create art works. They learn to create a wide range of colours, create contrast with complementary colours and use colour to express emotions through art. Students are able communicate their ideas through art, evaluate their processes, and discuss their art and the art of others when presenting their work to the group.
Communication
If you have any queries along the way, please feel free to contact me using my email.
Suzanne Reid - (suzanne.reid@education.vic.gov.au)
We use Sentral to communicate School and Foundation Information and Class Dojo to celebrate the children’s daily learning. We hope you have been enjoying the Dojo posts and photos from your teacher!