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Arts a la Carte Department of Visual & Performing Arts February 2015 - March 2015
Westfield Public Schools Westfield New Jersey
http://tinyurl.com/nx8rzac
Congratulations to Westfield High School students accepted to a 2015 CJMEA Region Ensemble:
2015 CJMEA Region II Orchestra
Dale Beyert, Trumpet Soo Min Chung, Violin
Amy Liang, Cello
2015 CJMEA Region II Symphonic Band Albert Chen, Bari Saxophone
Michael Hauge, Clarinet Alistair Kapadia, Bassoon
These students were selected through audition amongst hundreds of other auditioning students from throughout the Central New Jersey Region to perform in the CJMEA Region Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra. On Thursday
January 29th these students auditioned for the New Jersey All-State Ensembles with hopes of joining the best musicians in the state at the New Jersey Music Educators Association Conference held in New Brunswick in February, 2015.
Congratulations to the following WHS students who were accepted into the 2015 Region Mixed and Women's Choruses:
These students will be performing with other students in the Region on February 1st at Monroe High School. These students were chosen from over a thousand auditioned students.
2015 CJMEA Region II Mixed Chorus Noah Bram
Catherine Moore Abby Rothenberg
Laura Surace
Max Wasilewski 2015 CJMEA Region II Women's Chorus
Lauren Brumfield Alison Jaruzelski
Melanie Snyder
Congratulations to our Intermediate students who were chosen to audition for the 2015 CJMEA Region Ensembles!
Roosevelt Intermediate: 6th grader Alex Cha, Clarinet; 7th graders Clea Demuynck, Alto Sax and Max Tennant,
Trumpet; 8th grader Michael Charlton, Percussion
Edison Intermediate: 6th graders Jamie Beyert, Clarinet, Anna Qiang, Clarinet, Aprina Wang, French Horn and Kailey
Zhao Flute; 7th graders Alex Joseph, Clarinet, Andrew Kapadia, Percussion and Brooke Walden, Flute; 8th graders
Austin Chen, Trumpet, Colby Chen, Trumpet, Mateo Gonzalez-Nolde, Clarinet, Justin Joseph, Tenor Sax, Sara Shen,
Flute and Ethan Useloff , Trumpet
Congratulations!
Please see page 21 for ways you can help or donate to the WCA.
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Westfield
High School
Art
The Computer Graphic Design I classes are working on “Totally
Tubular” package designs. The
cylindrical shaped package design is created using Adobe In-Design
in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Students had to create an original product to be contained in the
cylinder, which included an original product name, catch phrase, company
story, original illustrations and
logos. The final labels will be printed out and attached to the
cylinders. Look for some of them
at the District-Wide End of Year Art Show.
Crafts Exploration students have been hard at work learning about
and creating various types of carved sculptures. We began the
subtractive method unit by
designing and carving an initial and decorating it with an indented
Zentangle pattern. We moved on to carving a Bas Relief in plaster.
Our last project will be carving a 3-D sculpture out of soapstone.
World Crafts Sampler students were immersed in the ancient
techniques of marbleizing paper. The students experienced
traditional method and the contemporary style of marbleizing
with colored chalk on the surface
of the water. After the marbleized papers are pulled, handmade
journals were crafted. The students wrapped up the last
assignment of the fall semester
with creating a “Dream Catcher” or learning how to knit /crochet - the
personal preference of a cup cozy or infinity scarf. The students read
historical excerpts of the origins and cultural backgrounds of the
crafts, with attention paid to the
artifacts and their uses in society.
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Ceramics 1 students finished out
the 1st semester by throwing on
the wheel. Every student was given one full class period to throw
a bowl. It is not an easy process to pick up in one 43 minute class,
but our students did amazing work! Not all of the bowls are
even, but they are all functional
and students had a blast!
Portfolio Prep & Art History (ART IV) Seniors have been
hanging their Sr. Exhibition displays up in the second floor of
the High School. It‟s wonderful to
walk out in the hall all times of day and see faculty, staff and students
gathered around, really spending time with the art work.
Seniors have taken their art history
mid-term, writing critiques about
two intriguing works. They developed their thesis around
different style indicators which they researched. They continue to
not only work on breaking down a
complex work of art using the critical method, but they are
developing their inquiry skills as well. This curiosity leads them to
an in-depth study of works from different periods, movements and
cultures. They continue to work on
independent pieces of art developing their personal portfolio.
Working with value recognition, value massing and value
dominance, Composition students
have started their acrylic painting investigation. They will be working
on “brush time” getting the feel of paint, mixing and creating value.
As they become comfortable with the mechanics of painting,
compositional strategies will be
reintroduced to create more and more complex individual pieces.
Drawing students continue to
progress with their technical skills.
They have been working on linear perspective by sighting and
understanding the dynamics of the ellipse. They have been
incorporating illusions of depth into their drawings and have begun an
intense study of value.
Foundations of Art students are
currently working on a unit in color theory, centering on types of
colors, color mixing, color value,
color harmony and the psychology of color. Students have completed
a series of color scheme self-portraits and fabric study still life
paintings, learning how to mix tints
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and shades of colors to achieve a wide range of values (lightness
and darkness of a color). Students learned how to rationally organize
color, creating monochromatic, complementary, triadic and
analogous color schemes. While
painting their self-portraits (monochromatic self-portraits are
shown below), students were introduced to master works of art,
such as those by Van Gogh,
Vermeer and Warhol, which have implemented these same
techniques and ideas. Students are continuing to work on their
landscape paintings, which is the culmination of their unit in
painting.
Music
WHS Choral Department
On December 17th the Mckinley
and WHS singers combined to sing Dona Nobis Pacem at the in-school
concert at WHS. In attendance were the students at WHS as well
as the local senior citizen
community. It was fantastic seeing the collaboration between the
younger and older Westfield students as they joined in song.
On December 18th, the WHS choir students held their evening winter
concert. The night featured all of
the choral groups at WHS as well as the WHS Symphony orchestra.
(Photo credit: Howie Frisch)
On February 6th, the WHS Choraleers will be hosting a “Night
of Love Songs” in Cafeteria B at WHS. The night will feature solos,
duets and group numbers involving the students in WHS‟s
auditioned choral ensembles; Bella
Cora, Concert Choir and Chorale. Refreshments will be served and
there is $5 student / $10 Adult suggested donation for entrance to
the event. There will also be a
silent auction with donations of products from local businesses. All
proceeds from the night‟s events will go towards raising money for
the WHS Choir department trip to Scotland/England. Come out to
what I know will be a lovely
evening of song by the singers at WHS.
On March 24th, the students in the
WHS Chorale will be presenting
their annual “Mostly Madrigals” dessert concert in Cafeteria B. The
concert will highlight performances of various Renaissance Madrigals
conducted by the students
themselves and will feature the works of Morley, Dowland, Byrd,
Whitacre, Lawson and Paulus, among others.
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Over spring break, 63 students in the WHS choral department will be
embarking on a nine-day tour of Scotland and England. The singers
will have the incredible experience of singing in centuries-old
cathedrals and castles as well as
touring many well-known historic sights.
The Westfield High School
Choir and Band would like to
thank the community for its support in their annual Christmas
tree pick up fundraiser on January 3, 2015. This event was a great
success under the leadership of Choir President, Katherine Ko and
Band President, Albert Chen. More
than 310 trees were picked up from Westfield area homes by
about 65 music students and parent volunteers. Thank you to
all the Westfield residents who
registered for this service, including those who kindly made
an additional donation.
Proceeds from this event will go
directly to the upcoming choir and band performance tours to
Scotland / England and Austria / Czech Republic, respectively. A
special thank you goes out to the Westfield Conservation Center and
the Department of Public Works
for accommodating. The Choir and Band would like to invite the
community to their free spring concerts at the Westfield High
School Auditorium. The Band
concert is May 14th and the Choral Concert is May 19th, both at 7:30
PM. In addition, the Choraleers will host A Night of Love Songs at
7PM on Friday, February 6th, in Westfield High School Cafeteria B.
This event will feature both group
and solo performances by members of the Choraleers,
Concert Choir, and Bella Cora. Desserts and coffee will be served.
Suggested donation is $10 per adult. Please join us!
WHS Music Students with a batch
of trees they dropped off at the
Conservation Center
On Wednesday January 14th the WHS Music Department hosted
their 3rd Annual 8th Grade Day.
Accompanied by their music teachers, students from Edison
and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools were bussed over to WHS
for an interactive day of discussion and music-making alongside the
WHS Wind Ensemble, Concert
Choir, and Chamber Orchestra. Guest speakers included Principal,
Mr. Peter Renwick, Director of Guidance, Maureen Mazzarese and
upperclassmen music students.
The day is designed to give rising 9th grade students a glimpse into
the WHS Music Department as they begin preparing to register for
classes for the upcoming 2015/16 school year.
A new addition this year was an evening concert featuring the 8th
grade bands from Edison and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools,
the Westfield High School Wind Ensemble and the Westfield High
School Marching Blue Devils!
WHS Bands gear up for
European Tour; 48 WHS Band students are preparing for an 8-
day tour of Austria and the Czech
Republic. The band will depart on Tuesday April 7th and will first visit
Prague. While in Prague the group will tour Castle Hill, give an
evening benefit concert at Na Marjance, participate in a service-
learning project and visit the
Terezin WWII Concentration Camp Memorial. On Saturday April 11th
the group will travel to the village of Cesky Budijovice where they will
tour the local castle before
continuing to Vienna. While in Vienna, the group will visit Hofburg
Palace, the Hunertwasser House and the gardens of Belvedere
Palace, where they will give an
outdoor performance. On Monday, April 13, the group will continue
onto Salzburg where they will travel to the Austrian Alps to give
a joint performance with a local Alpine Brass Band. While in Vienna
the group will visit the Mozart
Museum along with other local sight-seeing opportunities. On
Wednesday, April 15th the group will return home to Westfield High
School.
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We would like to invite you to support these 48 students before
they leave the country by attending our “Europe Tour Send
Off Concert,” which will be held on Sunday, March 29th, 3PM, at the
Temple Emanu-El in Westfield.
Admission is free.
Wind Ensemble to perform at Metropolitan Wind Band
Festival. The WHS Wind
Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Metropolitan Wind
Band Invitational to be held at Roxbury High School on Saturday,
April 18th. This event is being run in conjunction with “Music for All”
organization. There are currently
only three regional concert band festivals of this kind held in the
United States and this particular festival is the only of its kind on
the Eastern Seaboard. In 2014, the
first year of the festival‟s existence,
13 of the finest ensembles in our
region were invited to perform and the WHS Wind Ensemble is excited
to be included in the select group
of ensembles to participate in 2015.
Jazz Bands
The WHS Jazz Ensemble and Stage Band are scheduled for the
following performances throughout
the winter and spring months: February 27th - Stage Band at Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Jazz
Festival, Time TBA
March 7th – Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast, WHS Cafeteria, Jazz
Ensemble at 8:30 am; Stage Band at 10:30 am
March 27th – Jazz Ensemble at Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Jazz
Festival, Time TBA
April 25th – Both Bands at Livingston HS Jazz Festival, Time
TBA May 1st – Both Bands at Annual
WHS JAZZ NIGHT, 6PM
June 5th – Both Bands at Spring Jazz/Percussion Concert, 7:30 pm,
WHS Auditorium
Indoor Color Guard Under the direction of Cheryl
Gillick and Ashley Pierce, The WHS
Winter Guard has begun their second fully competitive Winter
Guard season! An ensemble made up of 10 WHS students. The Guard
rehearses twice a week and is
scheduled for the following upcoming
performances sanctioned by the Mid
Atlantic Indoor Network: March 7th - South Brunswick HS Show
March 28th – Somerville HS Show
April 18th – Bridgewater HS Show April 25th – MAIN Championships
at South Brunswick HS
The WHS Winter Guard will also be
giving a special performance at the June 5th Jazz & Percussion
Ensemble Concert beginning at 7:30 pm in the WHS Auditorium.
For more information regarding the Westfield High School Bands,
please visit our website at www.westfieldhsbands.org The Symphony Orchestra is
starting to put together a program
for their May concert, which will feature a wide variety of artists
and musical styles.
The Chamber Orchestra has
also been keeping quite busy. Just recently they participated in an 8th
grade recruitment/ orientation day with the RIS and EIS string
students. They performed for the 8th graders, as well as, alongside
them. They were also available for
some one-on-one question time to the 8th graders in hopes of easing
their transition to the high school next year. In February, the
Chamber Orchestra, along with the
Wind Ensemble, will be traveling to Franklin, Washington and Wilson Schools for their annual Demonstration
Day and performance. In March they
will travel to Jefferson, McKinley and Tamaques Schools, as well.
We are also pleased to announce on March 26th, all orchestra
students will be able to attend master classes here at WHS given
by members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. It is an
excellent opportunity for our
students to have close contact and time with professionals in the arts.
Drama
The Westfield High School drama
students are once again engaged in furthering their studies of the
world of theatre. In Drama 1, the students have just completed their
exploration of Medieval Theatre and its contributions to world
theatre. In addition to the
historical aspects of the period, the students also examined the
specific elements from the time period still seen in contemporary
theatre via the performance of
scenes from Arthur Miller‟s classic drama All My Sons. The Drama 2 students are
completing their study of Shakespearian theatre, focusing on
comedy this marking period. This
study will conclude with performances of scenes from The Comedy of Errors.
In Drama 3, the students have
been exploring Realism and contemporary American drama.
This study will conclude with performances from John Logan‟s
play Red and the Marsha Norman
drama „night Mother.
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WHS students are also continuing their exploration of the world of
theatre behind the scenes in Stagecraft. The students are
engaged in learning the various jobs that exist in the technical
theatre and the numerous
employment opportunities they present. Currently, the students
are learning the fundamentals of scenic painting and the various
techniques used within the
theatrical production process.
WHS Spring Musical
The Westfield High School Theatre
Department will be presenting Urinetown, the Musical, as their
Spring Musical production on March 12, 13 & 14, 2015. One of
the most uproariously funny
musicals in recent years, Urinetown is a hilarious tale of
greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when water is
worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water
shortage, caused by a 20-year
draught, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets.
The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single
malevolent company that profits
by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid
the people, a hero decides he's had enough and plans a revolution
to lead them all to freedom! Inspired by the works of Bertolt
Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is an irreverently humorous satire in
which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very
notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the Broadway
musical form into the new
millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit
and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.
The original Broadway production opened at Henry Miller's Theatre
on September 10, 2001 and garnered rave reviews, as well as
ten Tony Award nominations. The WHS production, featuring over
100 student actors, technicians
and musicians, clearly demonstrates the myriad talents of
the WHS fine arts students and their various disciplines. Tickets
will be available for pre-order in
late February by visiting the WHS Theatre Department website at
www.teacherdjd.wix.com/whstheatredept
Roosevelt
Intermediate
Art
The 6th graders are having a blast with their painters cap sculptural
art project. Here they are given a
white cap and have to make it into a piece of sculpture…. either
functional or not!
The 7th graders are working on an Elements of Design project
incorporating the 7 elements of
design. They are using colored pencils on a 12” X 12” white
paper and mounting it on an 18” X 18” sheet of white paper,
continuing the design with an
ebony pencil.
The 8th graders in Mrs. Cohen's class are working on painting
ceiling tiles for the cafeteria. They all have a food oriented theme and
are created with tempera paint. Ferraro's, Shake Shack, Gigi's
cupcakes, Gatorade, Chick-filet,
Ben and Jerrys, Captain Crunch, Chipolte, Pop Tart and
Marshmellows. The students are working in groups of 3-5 students
and are totally enthralled with this
project!
The 2nd quarter 6th grade students in Mr. Greenwood‟s class started
off the quarter by reviewing the elements of art. The elements of
art are the basic properties of a
work of art – line, shape, form, color, Space, texture and value.
Artists covered with the 6th grade were Georgia Okeeffe and Vincent
Van Gogh. Sixth grade students
made watercolor Okeeffe paintings. Also covered this second
quarter was commercial art design concepts with poster design. The
subject matter for this years‟
poster was Dr. Martin Luther King. To finish the quarter the 6th grade
students will take a look at Pop art and its use of commercial objects
in art. The students will be focusing on food items.
The 2nd quarter 8th grade students in Mr. Greenwood‟s class also
worked on Martin Luther King posters for the District wide
contest. Eighth grade students also
worked on paper sculpture with geometric designs based on the art
of Hena. Lastly the 8th graders are completing a project designing 3-D
double sided billboards. Many of the subjects of this project
examine before and after imagery.
Sixth graders in Mr. Thompson‟s
classes have just begun work on a Mehndi design project. Students
have been exploring the historical
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significance of Mehndi art while discussing ways to personalize
their own designs. Everyone will trace his or her hand 4 or 5 times
on white paper, then fill up their hand shapes with Mehndi inspired
designs. Hand shapes and designs
will be traced over in Sharpie and then cut out. Students will then do
a watercolor wash on a separate piece of paper. Once dry, their
hand designs will be glued on,
creating a colorful background.
The 7th grade students in Mr. Thompson‟s classes are finishing
up Pop Art candy paintings. After studying the life and art of Andy
Warhol, all students brought in a candy item to use as the subject of
their composition. Everyone drew
their candy extra-large on white paper, with an emphasis on
placement and cropping. Drawings were then outlined in bold black
marker, and painted with acrylic.
The results are outstanding! These will make for a dramatic display in
the student gallery by the main office.
The 8th grade class has been
working on an illuminated letter
watercolor project. This project is much more than just a fancy letter
though! We‟re calling it a symbolic self-portrait. After exploring the
history of illuminated lettering, students began a design with the
first letter of their name. We
brainstormed ideas for graphical images that might symbolize
aspects of each individual‟s personality. Students then drew
symbols, designs and patterns in
and around their letter. After a demonstration on basic watercolor
techniques, painting began. Students are now completing their
designs with careful watercolor
and permanent marker. The results so far are really
outstanding!
Music
RIS Chorus
The RIS 6th grade chorus enjoyed a successful winter concert,
singing a few seasonal favorites, as well as learning music from
different cultures. One selection
entitled “Ocho Kandelikas” (eight little candles) celebrated the story
of Hanukah. The song was sung in the language of Ladino, and
featured the RIS guitar ensemble
directed by Mr. Sabino Losco. In addition, selections included
“Believe” from the Polar Express, “Da Pacem Domine” (Bring Us
Peace) based on the choral work by Mechior Frank, and the
seasonal favorite “Jingle Bell Rock”.
The RIS 6th grade vocal music
classes are busy learning the piano
keyboard and practicing reading notes in treble clef. In addition
they are studying music from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque
and Classical periods. They will
be working on fun skits and music video focusing on composers of
these periods.
The RIS 8th grade Chorus enjoyed a wonderful and successful Winter
Concert. Students worked hard to
achieve a beautiful blend and enjoyed working on familiar and
new holiday selections. Selections included the well-known Ukraninan
carol “Carol of the Bells”, Mozart‟s
“Dona Nobis Pacem” from Missa Brevis and “Kindle the Candles
Tonight”. In addition, “Christmas on Broadway” proved to be the
students‟ favorite, featuring
holiday selections from Broadway shows.
The RIS 8th grade Chorus has
been having fun learning the piano and guitar. At the end of the unit
students will perform for each
other in a relaxed and informal performance. Students are also
working on their sight singing skills, a wonderful compliment to
the piano/guitar unit.
The Sharps and Flats had a big
week leading up to the annual Black History Month Assembly on
Friday, January 30th where they performed with the Newark Boys
Chorus. This event always provides
a great opportunity for our group to sing with such an accomplished
group. This year they sang "Shine On" a Traditional Spiritual
arranged by Rollo A. Dilworth. Our
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Sharps and Flats are a great sounding group this year and the
experience proved to be very rewarding.
Our 7th grade groups have been
working on the skill of sight
singing. We have been labeling melodies on solfeggio and then
teaching themselves how to sing them. They have been doing a
great job and are surprised
themselves with their talent. We are having a blast in all classes
and learning as well.
RIS Bands The RIS concert bands are excited
to begin the second half of the
school year. Our winter concert was a huge success, and each and
every student should be proud of what they accomplished. The
eighth grade band‟s rendition of “A
Christmas Festival” was particularly enjoyed by the audience. Mr.
Doyle and Mr. Stier have never heard such applause at the end of
the piece! It was an appropriate response to a well-prepared, energetic performance.
The eighth graders participated the
annual recruitment day at WHS on January 14th (pictured to the
right). Students in eighth grade
band, chorus and orchestra spent an afternoon listening to and
working with their respective high school ensembles. This day gives
students a chance to see what high school music ensembles are
like, which will help them make a
decision about their musical futures. In addition to recruitment
day, the 8th Grade Band performed a concert on the evening of the
14th alongside the eighth grade
band from Edison Intermediate School and the WHS Wind
Ensemble. Each ensemble performed two pieces on their
own, and all combined to form a
“mega-band” at the end of the concert. This evening also featured
a “non-traditional” performance from the WHS marching band,
which included lots of drumming, singing, and students playing in
the audience! It was a fun night,
and Mr. Vitale, Mr. Sindorf, and Mr. Doyle are extremely excited
about the future of the Westfield band program.
The 6th and 7th Grade Bands also had fantastic performances at their
December concert and will begin preparations for the June concert
in the coming months. Right now,
students are working on basic fundamentals and skills. Through
study and practice of major scales, students are improving areas such
as tone quality, articulation,
intonation and music theory. Practicing major scales also helps
students learn new notes and improve their range. All of these
skills will help when students begin learning new music.
RIS Jazz The Accidentals and Morning Jazz
each performed two pieces during the winter concert and they are
currently preparing for an
upcoming festival. On Wednesday March 25, they will participate in
the 3rd annual “Terrill in Tempo” Jazz Festival at Terrill Middle
School in Scotch Plains. Each group is learning new tunes to
perform on this evening. On Saturday, March 7th (starting at
8:00 am), they will have another
public performance at the annual Rotary Club Pancake Day. The
Naturals and The RIS Jazz Lab will join them on this performance,
along with ensembles from EIS
and WHS. This is always a wonderful community event, so
come have some breakfast and support the students of Westfield!
RIS Chamber Music The RIS Chamber music program
is in full swing! We have seven groups currently rehearsing! There
are two 7th grade woodwind
quintets, eighth grade woodwind quintet, percussion ensemble, and
jazz combo, a 7th grade sax trio and a combined 7th and 8th grade
brass ensemble! The brass ensemble delighted staff and
students before the holidays by
playing Christmas carols in the main lobby of the school as
everyone entered the building. Mr. Doyle, Mr. Stier and Mr. Freeman
are spending every Monday and
Friday morning coaching these ensembles. Students are learning
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Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015
how to rehearse in a small group without the aid of a conductor,
which promotes communication, teambuilding and leadership.
These groups will perform on June 2nd in the RIS auditorium, and may
perform at other school events
throughout the spring. We will keep you posted on when and
where!
The Afternoon Ramble
The Ramble is jamming! This year, Mr. Losco, Mr. Doyle and Ms.
Lasky are very excited to work with this special group of students.
This year‟s group features vocals, drums, guitar, bass, piano,
percussion, trumpets, saxophones,
clarinets, trombones and baritones! We have been working
on tunes by Elvis Presley, Chicago, Creedance Clearwater Revival, The
Rolling Stones and Imagine
Dragons…. and there will be more to come! The Afternoon Ramble
will perform at Jazz Night on May 1st, as well as other school events
during the spring.
The entire RIS Bands Department
would like to send a special thank you to the Westfield Coalition for the Arts and the RIS PTSO.
These two organizations have provided funds for new equipment
and fees for festivals and field trips and we are extremely grateful. The
students benefit greatly from their
generosity.
Drama
RIS Spring Musical
Roosevelt Intermediate School present "Shrek the Musical!"
Take one slimy green ogre with attitude, one less than delicate
princess, one sassy donkey and a vertically challenged would-be
prince; add music and a set that is
downright swampical and watch this fairy tale come true.
But,"Shrek the Musical" is more than a feel-good children's story: it
digs deep into our inner mush to
find the meaning of true beauty. Tickets: $7 in advance, $10 at the
door.
Performance dates: March 20th and 21th at 7:30pm March 22nd at 2:00pm
For tickets and more
information visit:
http://ris.westfieldnjk12.org
Edison
Intermediate
Art
The 6th graders in Mr. Black and Mrs. Hooper‟s class are working on
clay face mugs. They learned the
proper way to draw the face in proportion and are now learning
how to create this in the 3-D form. Students learned to roll a slab, coil
and how to properly attach clay using score, slip and smooth. Mrs.
Frees‟ will make mugs when they return for the fourth marking
period.
Ms. Hooper‟s classes also
completed a project referred to as the 7 Elements Collage. This
painting project reinforced the 7 Art Elements used by every artist
to create art: Texture, line, form,
color, value, shape and space. After gluing found objects onto tag
board, acrylic paint was added using a chosen Color Theme: Complimentary Color, Monochromatic Colors, Hot or Cold colors. Mrs.
Frees‟ classes were working on
faces in proportion using acrylic paint and both tinting (adding
white) and shade (adding black) to create a sense of 3-D with value.
The students also used some
recycled frames that were donated to matt their art work. They
reviewed color theory with this project. Students then moved
onto a project on the use of space and negative space. They are
learning about cultural art from
Panama and are creating paper Molas with the exacto knife.
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February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte
In the 7th grade, students have been studying Art history of
Optical Illusions in Mrs. Frees class with two projects using the
elements of art, line, shape and
value to create their original designs. The class is also creating
a mixed media piece using different patterns to relate back to
what they learned in the beginning
of the year with two point perspective. They are using gel
pens, oil pastel blending techniques and drawing methods
of hatching, crosshatching and stippling.
Ms. Hooper‟s students are working on a 2 Point Perspective unit which
includes using Dr. Seuss illustrations as an inspiration for an
imaginary Cityscape. After
studying artists from the Surrealism period (Salvador Dali,
Max Ernst and Joan Miro), each drawing incorporates a situation
that could not happen in real life. The Cityscapes will use colored
pencil to show value and illusion of
space. The students in both Ms. Hooper‟s class and Mrs. Frees
completed a Clay Rattle after learning the history of rattles.
Rattles are the oldest form of
music and have been made from animal parts, vegetation as well as
ceramic clay. Rattles have been used in ancient cultures around
the world for various spiritual purposes. Ms. Hooper‟s and Mrs.
Frees‟ students constructed their clay rattles by building 2 pinch
pots and joining the pieces together to create the main rattle
shape. Additional clay pieces were
added to create form and add detail. Themes for the project
varied from images of animals, human faces and inanimate
objects. The clay was decorated
using clay glazes. 8th Graders in Mr. Black‟s Crafts
class are working on plaster masks. They did research in the
library on the history of mask making and their cultural purpose.
They are building with recycled
cardboard and plaster. Students in Ms. Hooper‟s class completed a
unit on Print Making. Beginning with a String Print, students
learned the basics of the printing
process including how to evenly roll out the ink using a brayer,
pulling a print, “registering” a print (properly lining up a print) and
signing a print. A second project
was added using either Styrofoam or linoleum which allowed for
further experimentation of the medium to create multiple prints.
The students are beginning a 3-D
sculpture Vessel; a hollow container which will be both
decorative and functional. The Vessels will be constructed from
recycled plastic and glass cups,
covered with Paper Mache to create a uniform surface and
decorated with beads, and ribbon to add surface interest. Students
in Mrs. Frees Craft‟s class are working on finishing clay houses
for their unit on clay making. They
each had a chance to make paper from paper pulp and learned about
the ancient history of paper making. The students then used
the handmade paper and
embellished it with quilling art. They are creating flowers, animals
and different 3-D designs. They are moving onto working on
painting on wet plaster, or fresco next.
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Music
EIS BANDS The Edison Bands ended 2014 with
spectacular performances! Many thanks to the students, parents, teachers and administrators who made those events so successful.
The 6th and 7th grade bands are spending the winter getting back
to the basics. A special emphasis has been placed on efficient
practice techniques as they work with the SmartMusic software in
class. With the program‟s help, students are able to assess their
personal performance and develop a systematic plan for improvement.
They are eager to employ the new
strategies on the spring concert music!
Entering into their last semester at
EIS the 8th grade band got a
glimpse at what lies ahead at the WHS Fine Arts Recruitment Day
pictured below.
On the morning of January 14th, they traveled up the road to the
high school to see a presentation by the music department, rehearse
alongside the wind ensemble and converse with high school
students. That evening, they stood
shoulder to shoulder with the RIS 8th Grade Band and the WHS Wind
Ensemble in an incredible performance of Brian Balmages‟
“Rhythms and Riffs.” The 8th grade
band loved their “high school preview “and they wish to thank
the high school teachers and students who made it possible.
Starting this winter, the EIS
percussionists are getting their
chance to move from the back row right into the spotlight with the
creation of the EIS Percussion
Ensemble. Interested percussionists
will meet on Friday mornings to
study percussion technique and “percussion-only” literature.
The Emerald Jazz Band is
devoting its winter rehearsals to
the study of improvisation. Each student is taking a swing (that‟s
jazz humor) at creating their own 12-bar blues solo! They‟ll follow
that study style up with “Basic
Basie”, emulated after the legendary Count Basie Orchestra.
Take a listen as they join several other district groups for the March
7th Pancake Breakfast.
EIS Orchestra The New Year has brought
about many exciting endeavors in the Orchestra classes at Edison
Intermediate School. After an amazing visit to the Midwest Clinic
in Chicago, Illinois, the string
students at EIS are now incorporating new techniques to
optimize their ability on their instrument. Whether it's playing
long tone scales, which helps build
intonation skills and can help the group stay focused or studying
Bach chorales to improve listening skills, the EIS string students have
already come a long way in their studies since implementing these
new methods. In addition, several string students will be auditioning for the Region II
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February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte
Orchestra and we wish all of them the very best of luck! The Edison Orchestras have also
begun work on our new pieces for
the Spring 2015 Concert. The 6th grade Orchestra has launched into Haydn's, “Surprise Symphony”. The 7th grade Orchestra has mastered
"Happy" by Pharrell Williams and the 8th grade Orchestra's program
includes Mozart's "Abduction from
the Seraglio" and "For Good" from the hit musical, Wicked. With such
a great start to 2015, it's safe to say that it will be yet another
wonderful year!
Drama
EIS Spring Musical
Disney Channel's smash hit movie musical comes to life on Edison
Intermediate School‟s stage in Disney’s High School Musical.
With such famous songs as Getcha
Head in the Game, We‟re All in This Together, Stick to the Status
Quo and Breaking Free this musical promises to be a
showstopper.
Troy, Gabriella and the students of
East High must deal with issues of first love, friends and family while
balancing their classes and extra-curricular activities. It‟s the first
day after winter break at East
High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians, Skater Dudes and the
rest of East High find their cliques, recount their vacations and look
forward to the New Year. Basketball team captain and
resident jock Troy discovers that
the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has
just enrolled at East High. They cause an upheaval when they
decide to audition for the high
school musical, led by Ms. Darbus. Although many students resent the
threat posed to the "status quo," Troy and Gabriella‟s alliance might
just open the door for others to shine as well.
Disney's High School Musical is fun for the whole family. Starring a
large cast of Edison Intermediate School students including Kate
Armstrong, Katie Ceraso, Ally
Escaldi, Gabby Estrada, Jack Gerris, Ethan Jaffee, Pat McElyn,
Abbie Painter, Cooper Prieto, and Justin Venturina this show
promises to bring a lot of fun and
smiles to anyone in attendance. So come see Edison Intermediate
School‟s High School Musical. Pre-sale ticket price is $8 and $10 at
the door.
Performance dates: March 5th at 4:00pm March 6th and 7th at 7:30pm
Franklin
Elementary
Art At Franklin School, the Art
students in grades 2 through 5 are busy with color, line, shape,
texture and space. A variety of media is being used to help them
make art. It also assists them with
their art vocabulary and artistic expression. Under the direction of
Mrs. Coveney, many different projects are being introduced and
enjoyed.
The 2nd grade students observed
and discussed works of Pablo Picasso and how he painted
asymmetrical portraits. The students created their own
portraits using crayon and
successfully understood this concept. This idea was brought
into the classroom once they finished their unit on symmetry. In
order to complete their learning, radial symmetry was introduced
and it “rounded” out the art
making.
The 3rd grade students are learning about positive shape and negative
space. A body with its proper
proportions is in doable pose. The student becomes the model of this
pose and color enhances the drawing. Complementary colors
are introduced and warm and cool
colors are reviewed. Colored sharpies create a very pleasing
result.
The 4th grade students finished their “Lines of the City”.
Foreground, middle ground and
background could be seen within their cityscapes. Lines were
reviewed which they learned could create texture and movement as
they added them onto their
buildings using black sharpies. Contrast could be seen as color
sharpies were used and color was placed in their backgrounds for
their warm and cool skies.
The 5th grade students reviewed
the color wheel with the primary and secondary colors. They
observed and discussed the Scarlet Macaw with all its layers of colorful
feathers. The “woodless” colored
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Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015
pencils were the medium of choice to create their drawings of this
most colorful bird. Success could be seen and a review of value was
a part of their art vocabulary. Many a project can be seen and
learning is evident.
Music
In many schools around the
country, students were challenged
to perform as many kind deeds as they could in one week. To aid
our Franklin students, we participated in the Great Kindness
Challenge, which provided them
with a list of kind deeds to complete within one week. In our
music classes, we practiced these acts of kindness to help build
community in all areas of our
school. The students even came together as a school to sing “A
Kind-Hearted Hand” at the conclusion of our kindness
assembly. We hope that these acts of kindness rippled out into
your own homes and beyond.
February‟s key concepts will focus
on pitch and melody, while building upon other learned
concepts. The 2nd graders have just discovered Re in their music
and are learning how to sing more songs using Re, use Curwen hand
signs to build note reading skills
and even compose short musical phrases using the pentatonic scale.
Third graders will develop their note reading skills as well, using
the entire diatonic scale. Our 4th
and 5th graders will be working on their compositional skills using
both staff paper and iPads.
With a strong foundation in
singing, the students at Franklin are developing their part singing
skills as they explore more canons, partner songs and individual part
work throughout the next few
months. To help secure and differentiate some of these parts,
creative movement as well as our new Orff instruments will be
incorporated.
We at Franklin would like to thank the Coalition for the Arts for their generous donation for the
purchase of new Orff instruments for the music classroom. For those
unfamiliar with the Orff approach, the use of speech, movement and
classroom instruments help
develop the curious, musical nature of students. The use of
barred instruments such as xylophones and metallophones
sized appropriately for young
students help develop musicality, creativity and ensemble skills.
Unfortunately many of the older instruments too big for the music
cart were damaged and
unplayable. So much of my summer was spent repairing and
cleaning the salvageable ones, but we still needed new instruments to
replace some of the old ones. After approaching the Coalition for
the Arts, they fully supported this
project and funded the purchase of one bass xylophone, two alto
xylophones, and two soprano xylophones. These were used in
our December Chorus concert as
several of the fifth graders accompanied their peers during
one of their songs. I look forward to further exploring these
instruments with all of our Franklin students as the year goes on.
Thank you for your support!
Jefferson
Elementary
Art Jefferson students have been
hoping for a big snowfall. They can‟t wait to get out there and go
sledding, build snow people, and
have snowball fights. While they are waiting for that, they can live
vicariously through their art.
In 1st grade, the little artists are
creating their snow-dreamscapes with their “Snowmen at Night”
lesson. They build dexterity by tearing paper in a controlled way
and creatively collage snow people who sneak away from their yards
at night to engage in crazy
activities with other snow people.
Second graders are about to use acrylic paint for the first time to
paint their pinch pot turtles. After
that they will be continuing with their unit on trees.
The 3rd graders are just beginning
their big group project, Aboriginal
X-ray Paintings. They will learn about the history of the Aboriginal
people of Australia, making connections between them and our
Native Americans. The paintings will be large depictions of
Australian animals done in the
Aboriginal style.
Fourth grade students are embarking on their One-Point
Perspective adventures. This is
always a tough lesson with hard concepts; but they always
manage to stick with it and try, try, try until they “get it”. The
beautiful, intricate cities that they create are breathe-taking. The
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February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte
kids get to use professional grade watercolor paints from tubes for
the first time and they love it!
Paper mache monstrosities have taken over the 5th grade hallway…
YES, the fish are back! The children learn about Dan “The Monster Man” Reeder, a contemporary fabric mache artist based in Seattle, Washington. We study his website, www.gourmetpapermache.com, where you can see time-lapse
videos of him creating his art. The students get to see and touch one
of his actual sculptures which
inspires them in their creations. We are only in the paper mache
phase, but soon, we will be using wire, glass, fabric, glue, markers,
tape, paint and clay to construct
our sea-creatures.
Music
Jefferson School‟s Music Dept. WELCOMES Mr. Kyle Hill, a
Senior Music Education major from
Kean University. Mr. Hill will be working in the elementary vocal
music setting alongside Mrs. Woodfield until mid-March, when
he will continue his student teaching experience in
instrumental music at Scotch
Plains-Fanwood High School. Mr. Hill resides in Cedar Grove, NJ.
Throughout February and March, the students of Jefferson School
will continue to focus on their Winter Celebrations Unit and the
musical “Rocks” Pitch/Melody (February) and Texture/Dynamics
(March). February will celebrate
Black History Month, Groundhogs day, Valentines‟s Day, President‟s
Day and the Chinese New Year. March will celebrate Music In Our
Schools Month with morning
MUSIC TRIVIA MADDNESS!!
First grade students will study different melodic versions of “This
Old Man” and have some singing and movement fun with songs like
“The Groundhog Jig” and
“Skinnamarink”. They will also study the Norwegian composer,
Edvard Grieg and “The Adventures of Peer Gynt”.
The 2nd graders will continue their study of African American
Spirituals “Get On Board” and “Little Wheel A-Turnin‟”, take an
adventure on the “Lone Star Trail”,
creating new verses for a Valentine‟s Day song and enjoy the
folk song/story about “Abiyoyo” the giant by Pete Seeger.
Third Graders will be singing the
months and days of the year in our
Spanish song, “Uno de Enero”. To celebrate Valentine‟s Day, we will
find the humor in two funny cat songs: “Don Gato” and “But The
Cat Came Back”. President‟s Day
will include Charles Ives‟ “Variations on America” and
several melodic versions of “I Know An Old Lady”.
In the 4th grade, the students will
focus upon Patriotic Songs and folk
songs of the 49er‟s: “Oh, Suzanna”, “Clementine”, “Sweet
Betsy from Pike” and partner songs “My Home‟s In
Montana/Home On the Range”.
Beyond their monthly “rocks”, the 5th grade is busy at work on their
spring musical, “Dig It!: A Musical Tale to Ancient Civilizations”.
From Mesopotamia to Egypt to India, China, Greece and Rome…
the 5th graders are making
connections through music. Save the date: Wednesday, April 22nd
at 7PM in the Jefferson Auditorium.
Jefferson & McKinley Strings String students have excitedly
jumped into beginning music for the spring concert. We have many
exciting pieces that we will be starting in the next few weeks. In
addition, many of our fifth
grade students are preparing music for their All City Orchestra
auditions. We are hard at work and excited for all the new music
we have ahead of us!
McKinley
Elementary
Art
First grade students are quickly
moving through projects in the
New Year. We‟ve just completed an overlapping project where
students constructed a patterned design with cut paper and then
overlaid a symmetrical cut out on
top of this design. This project will be a great reference for
understanding negative and positive space in 2nd grade next
year. Our next project uses a grid
to separate 20 different 3” x 3” squares. Within each square the
students will draw up to five lines and change the direction of the
lines in the surrounding squares. Outlining their lines will help to
demonstrate an understanding of
visual movement within a work of art. The student‟s eyes travel
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Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015
around their work and follow the directions of their twirling,
spinning, wavy, bumpy, slanted and straight lines. The project will
be finalized with watercolor paint to provide just the right color to
complete this focused art piece.
Understanding artistic vocabulary
is key to expressing the concepts of art. Second grade students
continue to add to their word wall
of art terms and review them each class to ensure their significance.
Contour lines will be investigated with a yarn portrait where
students‟ silhouettes and features are outlined using yarn. The yarn
helps to aid in the understanding
that contour lines separate negative and positive space.
Finally, oil pastel will be used to finish off the piece and give artists
an opportunity to make their
creative mark.
Very excited to be working with clay, the 3rd graders are all smiles
during our 45-minute art class. Working with the coil building
technique and understanding
repetition as used in art processes, these happy students will be
building their own coil sculptures. After they are built and air dry,
these students will prime their
works and use transparent glazing techniques to bring their works to
life.
Moving from a very layered under
the sea collage project, the 4th grade students will be able to
focus on a textured value
scratchboard drawing of one of their favorite animals. Learning
how to create value and texture through line qualities, the students
will also revisit past concepts in
their repertoire like foreground, middle ground and background to
bring more thought into their chosen compositions. We will look
at black and white as well as color
reproductions of Henri Rousseau‟s work to connect our learning with
one of the most imaginative artists of the 19th and early 20th century.
Fifth grade students have just
completed an observational value
drawing to better understand the effects of light and shadow. Next
we look deeper into this relationship through the
construction of a clay portrait. Convex, concave, incise lines,
overlapping and creasing their sculptures will add the necessary
shadows, contrast and dimension into their works. Seeing the human
head as a 3-D form will help us in
our next project when we return to drawing and painting.
Music
McKinley 1st graders have been
learning how music is made up of
patterns this month. They have been creating some of our
standard patterns used to write music. In addition, they have
created some unique patterns of
their very own.
The 2nd graders at McKinley have been learning about Rondo form.
We have listened to Antonio
Vivaldi's Spring to help us learn about Rondo form. They have
used listening maps to understand the sections of this piece.
Additionally, we have broken into groups and danced to represent
the sections while listening to the
music. The students have had a great time with this activity!
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February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte
McKinley 3rd graders have been expanding their knowledge in
musical form this month. We have discussed and experienced several
form patterns with a variety of fun songs. Now we are using our
knowledge of musical form to
create our own form and compose short pieces of music in small
groups. It will be exciting to hear how they all turn out!
The 4th graders at McKinley have been learning about Theme and
Variation this month. We have listened to several pieces of music
to experience the theme and variation concept. Recently, the 4th
graders used their experiences to
create their very own theme with three variations.
The 5th Graders are busy learning
about different musical styles.
Each student researches a different style and then teaches
their style to their classmates. They get to use individual iPads
and brianpop to do their research
which is always fun! Over the next few months we will continue to
work on our musical reading skills and learn new music for our Spring
Concert!
McKinley & Jefferson Strings
String students have excitedly jumped into beginning music for
the spring concert. We have many exciting pieces that we will be
starting in the next few weeks. In
addition, many of our fifth grade students are preparing
music for their All City Orchestra auditions. We are hard at work
and excited for all the new music we have ahead of us!
Tamaques
Elementary
Art
Students in 1-R and 1-M learned
that sculpture is 3-dimensional,
having height, width and volume.
The students in Mrs. Massenzio‟s
class thoroughly enjoyed working
3-dimensionally, using Model
Magic, when they created
wonderful polar bear sculptures.
They learned all about polar bears,
their habitats and characteristics.
The children learned how to create
texture using various tools. This
lesson helps develop small muscle
dexterity and gave students a
chance for creative expression.
The 2nd grade students at
Tamaques created whimsical
birdhouses, complete with Model
Magic birds. Mrs. Massenzio
discussed various types of birds
and their coloring. Utilizing this
knowledge, the children were
excited to begin their own
creations. The results were
impressive, beautifully decorated
houses with bright and colorful
birds! This lesson reinforced how
to mix colors, science and small
muscle dexterity.
The students in Mrs. Massenzio‟s
3-F2 class created large, graceful
3-D butterflies. The class learned
all about butterflies and their
characteristics. Did you know that
there are about 18,000-20,000
known butterfly species
throughout the world? Butterflies
weigh as little as two rose petals
and have an average lifespan of
about 2 weeks. This comprehensive
lesson incorporated science, art
and symmetry.
The 4th graders in Mrs. Massenzio‟s
class enjoyed drawing castles in
the style of Medieval Europe.
Students learned about why and
how castles were constructed.
They learned about life in the
Middle-Ages, and were able to
appreciate the architectural
ingenuity of the people of those
times. Perspective, value and
texture were focal points in this
lesson.
Totem poles have played an
integral part in the culture of the
Pacific Northwest Coast Indians.
These Native Americans pass on
their history through the stories
each pole tells. In Mrs.
Massenzio‟s, the 5th grade students
learned about the history of totem
poles, how they are made and had
a wonderful “hands-on” experience
when they constructed their own
cardboard totems. In an effort to
work as authentically as possible,
the students learned about the
specific cultural designs, colors and
animals used by these Native
American tribes. The children were
so excited to see the impressive 10
foot finished pole!
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Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015
Music
Tamaques & Washington
4th & 5th Grade Band News!
The Tamaques and Washington 4th
grade bands are busy preparing
for their Music In Our School‟s Performances. Selections for the
performance include favorites such as “Hot Cross Buns”, “Au Claire de
la Lune”, “London Bridge” and many others! The students are
excited to “make” music and
perform for their teachers and friends.
Many of the Washington and
Tamaques 5th Grade Band students
are busy practicing for their All City Band audition. The All City Band is
open to any student who is a member of the Tamaques or
Washington 5th grade band. The
students are required to memorize the concert Bb, Eb, F and Bb
chromatic scales as well as prepare the solo material found on page 38
in the Essential Elements 2000 method book. Good luck to all of
the Washington and Tamaques
Band students who are auditioning for the 2015 All City Band!
All City AUDITION Dates February 10th
- The Washington
5th Grade Band students will audition at Washington school
February 12th - The Tamaques 5th
Grade Band students will audition
at Tamaques.
Washington
Elementary
Art
Washington has swung into the
New Year with a variety of creative art experiments! The 1st graders
took a different approach to creating a landscape. While, they
still used a horizon line,
background and foreground, they filled each area of their landscape
with various textures. This effect made way for beautiful and
interesting landscapes!
The 2nd graders have been
preparing all month for The Chinese New Year, which will take
place on February 19th, marked by the new moon. In honor of this
celebration, the second graders
created landscapes that credit the mountains of China and dragon
mythology. Each student picked three Chinese words to add to
their piece to complete their
Chinese New Year tribute.
The 3rd graders have been studying proportion of the face
and how our faces change upon expressing emotions. They have
created a chart, which shows a
face displaying a different feeling or adjective.
The 4th graders have been
studying Fauvism and how the
Fauvist artists used vivid colors to show feelings. In studying Henri
Matisse‟s Portrait of the Green Stripe, the 4th grades have
understood the beauty of creating
portraits that use unrealistic and bright colors. “Les Fauves” means
“the wild beasts,” in French. The Fauvist artists were called this
because of their use a wild colors.
The 4th graders at Washington have been showing their wild side
through their Fauvist Portraits.
The 5th graders have embarked on
their modern art studies by
examining the art that was made during World War 1. They have
learned how much worldly events affect art. These 5th graders have
been working on collage portraits
inspired by the Dada movement. This movement coincided with
World War 1 and was a reflection of the artist‟s opinions. They have
discussed the ideas that were
floating around during that time and are showing their own
opinions through their collage portraits.
Wilson
Elementary
Art
The 1st grade students of Wilson School are continuing to learn
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February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte
about Color Theory by studying primary and secondary colors.
They had a blast practicing color mixing while creating abstract
paintings. Then they applied their newfound mixing skills to paint
turtle drawings they created.
Second grade is also focusing on
mixing colors. They created large clown drawings and painted them
with primaries, secondaries and tints of the colors. The clowns look
great and the students are now certified mixocologists!!
The 3rd graders recently began
their weaving unit. Always a class
favorite, most students begged to take their looms home to work on
them as homework! They also come in handy as a fun project to
work on during recess on cold,
wintery, indoor days!
The students in 4th grade finished
up their unit on complementary
color sets with a fashion design lesson! They created an outfit for a
star or designed a new uniform for a sports team utilizing
complementary colors. It was a
perfect follow up to their apple paintings.
The 5th graders have begun
coloring their self-portraits with oil pastel. It is easy to decipher who
is who, as the students did an amazing job capturing their own
likeness. They will begin working
in small groups on Photoshop projects shortly!!
4th grade Minion Sculptures
Music
Fifth graders at Wilson School
have already begun working on their Spring Concert repertoire.
This year's program will have an international flavor, with songs in
Portuguese, Korean, French and
English! The evening's attire will reflect the concert's international
character. Note-reading continues to be a major focus for students,
especially the fifth graders. In
addition, we are using repertoire to review other music signs and
symbols.
Our 3rd and 4th graders have begun preparing for the annual Music in
Our Schools program coming this Spring! Each grade will present
specially selected repertoire. During the program, they will also
sing together as a mass chorus. The 3rd and 4th graders continue
to work on improving their note-
reading skills.
February is for Valentines and the 1st and 2nd graders are preparing
to sing for their parents during the annual Valentine's Day Assembly.
February is also African-American
His (Her) story month and what a great time for spirituals! We learn
about the historical context in
which they developed, thus increasing understanding of their
importance in our lives. On occasion we are treated to
(recorded) performances of
spirituals by outstanding singers, in addition to our own singing.
Lincoln School
Our Pre-K artists have been
learning all about line, form, texture and color. So in February
and March, we will put this knowledge to work using winter
and the February holidays as a
focus. In March, just about the time when we say we‟ve had
enough of winter, we‟ll put some color back into our lives with
rainbows and “glass” sculptures.
Pre-K class with
Dr. Seuss sculptures
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Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015
Snowmen sculptures
Kindergartener using painted
paper for Eric Carle insects
In February, our kindergarteners
will be studying some of the very first artists. The Lascaux cave
drawings are estimated to be more
than 17,000 years old. We‟ll be going back in time in the art room
to create some of our own cave art and maybe discover some “fossils”
along the way. Once we are back
in the present time around March, we will be creating art for Lincoln
School‟s Sing-A-Long, scheduled at the end of the month. The
students will be learning about art in the cubist style and working in
groups to prepare the gym for this
fabulous show. Busy, busy, busy!
Lincoln School students celebrated Grandparents and Special People
on January 30th. The students sang a few songs and afterwards
accompanied their special people to their classrooms. The
kindergarteners all worked very
hard preparing to be on stage for the first time (pictured below at
rehearsal)!
Thanks to the generous support of
Westfield Public Schools and the Westfield Coalition for the Arts,
Westfield music teachers Amanda Gant (EIS), Trevor Sindorf (EIS)
and Chris Vitale (WHS) traveled to “The Midwest Clinic,” an
international band and orchestra conference in Chicago, IL. Joining
them in attendance were more
than 17,000 teachers, professors, administrators and musicians
representing all 50 states and 30+ countries. The four day event was packed with clinics hosted by internationally renowned educators,
exhibits and 40 concerts ranging from
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to a middle school jazz band. Mrs.
Gant, Mr. Sindorf and Mr. Vitale are eager to share their
experiences with their students
this semester!
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February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte
Westfield Coalition for the Arts
FALL 2014
Dear Westfield Parents: The mission of the Westfield Coalition for the Arts is to act as an advocate for the arts, including music, drama, visual arts, and dance in the Westfield Public Schools, by speaking out on behalf of the arts, maintaining public awareness and utilizing source of community, financial and philosophical support. Each year we award grants to different arts programs in the schools based upon applications submitted to us from the Westfield Schools’ faculty. This year, we were happy to award over $20,000 in grant money for the following: Special Guest Conductor of the Rutgers Children’s Choir, Dr. Rhonda Hackworth works with McKinley’s 5
th Grade Choir; new
String Instruments for Edison School; helped to fund cost for WHS Wind Ensemble to attend the Avery Fischer Festival in NYC; aided in the development and expansion of the WHS Winter Guard; purchased a new choral riser for the WHS choirs; bought materials needed for an interactive art project at Jefferson School where the 5
th graders
collaborated with professional, contemporary artist, Dan Reeder; Maureen Francis, opera-singer and voice teacher works with the WHS Concert Choir on elements of vocal technique and expression. We are so fortunate to live in a community that reveres the arts and believes strongly in nourishing the diverse talents of our youth. Demonstrate YOUR commitment to the arts by making a donation today. With your donations we are able to assist the vocal music, fine art, and theatre programs at the elementary, intermediate and high school levels. We are an independent, not-for-profit organization, and we depend solely on the generosity of parents and supporters. In addition, the Coalition is interested in your ideas, suggestions, and comments and hope that you will take the time to email us at [email protected]. PLEASE “LIKE” US ON FACEBOOK AND VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: www.WestfieldCoalitionForTheArts.weebly.com. We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your support.
~ Margaret Smith, W.C.A. President _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Yes, I/we would like to GIVE. I/we will donate
Benefactor $500 Sponsor $75
Angel $200 Sustaining Member $50
Patron $100 Donation $_______
In appreciation of your gift of $75.00 or more, your name will print in the Winter & Spring concerts programs. Name: __________________________________________________________________________ (If donating $75 or more, please print the name as you would like it to appear in the programs.) Email: _________________________________________________Phone: _________________________ Westfield Public School (where youngest child attends): _____________________________________
Yes, I am interested in volunteering with the Coalition. Check here:
Please make checks payable to Westfield Coalition for the Arts, and mail to:
WCA Treasurer, 562 Pierson St., Westfield NJ 07090