McKinley Elementary School

Date: September 6, 2011

To: Parents

From: Don Blosser, Art Specialist

Hello McKinley Parents,

I just wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself to you. I will be sending similar notes home in the future on a regular basis to keep in touch, to describe the overall arts curriculum, and to spotlight specific art lessons your child is enjoying.

As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, there are a lot of players on the Art Team, so to speak. The State of California provides a detailed Visual and Performing Arts Framework, with developmental standards for each grade level. These standards are integrated with instructional materials (Textbooks, overhead transparencies, art prints) that emphasize the Seven Elements of Art: Line, shape, form, space, color, value, and texture.  Knowing that students learn best by doing, most of the classroom time will be devoted to student’s hands-on creation of art.

I have already enjoyed getting reacquainted with students (art starts on the first day of school).  We have started with the element of line and after a short unit on cartoon drawing, students will be learning other aspects of line drawing, both free form and geometrical.

The San Leandro Unified School District has concluded its third year of a grant-based partnership with the Alameda County Office of Education and the Teacher Action Research Institute (associated with Harvard’s Project Zero), integrating art into classrooms as a vibrant component of the District's equity work. Even though this project has concluded, we will be continuing to integrate the Studio Habits of Mind approach and I hope to collaborate with regular classroom teachers to enhance learning across all subjects.

Studio Habits:

Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Reflect, Stretch & Explore, and Understanding the Art World.

I will also be collaborating with my fellow San Leandro Unified art teachers. We will meet monthly to plan and discuss ideas.  Following last year’s Art Show at the Main Library, we are hoping to expand our community involvement even further with a semi-permanent exhibit at the Bay Fair Mall. 

Though art is important to your child’s future career, hopefully it goes without saying that art should be fun. It is one area that is less language dependent and presents more of a level playing field, so to speak, for students of all backgrounds and cultures. For all of these reasons, I hope you will encourage your child to do their best in art class and will show a personal interest in their artwork.

Whenever you are in the McKinley main hallway, come by and check out the Art Class Bulletin Board. It is on the wall between the cafeteria and the Computer Lab.  Usually it will have examples of student art displayed. From time to time, we will also showcase famous and important artists. Currently we have work by Frida Kahlo and Elizabeth Cattlett, two women who knew each other and worked together occasionally.