Final Post

Well, the semester is almost over so I thought I would make a final blog. I enjoyed the Fine Arts Class for a number of reasons. But most of all, I truly enjoyed discovering how many people in our class are so talented, from dancing, singing, acting, writing, drawing! Thanks to everyone for sharing your talents, and I think we can all learn a lot from one another.
Well Done Everyone. Enjoy your Christmas Holidays.

PS. Thank you for all your comments on my blog, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts and views.

More Pictures!

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock!

Rudolph!




Deck the Halls!
FROSTY



Feliz Navidad

Christmas Performance

Great Job Everyone!

I have to admit I was a little unsure about the performance with the lack of time to prepare, however it was super fun once we were all up there signing and dancing, and I think the audience really enjoyed it also. I noticed many of them smiling, laughing and signing along.

Eventhough putting together a performance takes extra time and may seem like somewhat of a "hassle," it is all worth it in the end. I know we are all busy, stressed, and tired, but I think the performance allowed us to have some fun and enjoy one another.

Thanks to Kristen, who used her expertise to organize the performance and help us with some fine details. Thanks Linda for bringing in the hats and Santa Suit. Nathan, excellent Job on being Santa, you have an excellent HO HO HO.

Enjoy the pictures, and if you would like me to email any of them to you please let me know. Some of them are a little blurry and dark.....

Christmas Music

I have come across a few websites of christmas music that I thought you may want to have a look at.
Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. I love the lights, decorated trees, gingerbread houses, the Grinch! and the joyful spirit. The music is great too! It always puts me in a good mood! My favourite christmas song is Happy Christmas by John Lennon, I think the song has a great message...

http://xmasfun.com/Lyrics.asp
http://www.the-north-pole.com/carols/index.htm

The Cremation of Sam McGee

I found some information on Robert Service, the author of "The Cremation of Sam McGee." It is interesting, Sam McGee is actually a real person!

This informantio in this post was found @

http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/2640 on November 15th.

Robert Service

Robert W. Service, a Canadian poet and novelist, was known for his ballads of the Yukon. He wrote this narrative poem which is presented here because it is an outstanding example of how sensory stimuli are emphasized and it has a surprise ending.
Robert William Service was born in Preston, England, on January 16, 1874. He emigrated to Canada at the age of twenty, in 1894, and settled for a short time on Vancouver Island. He was employed by the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Victoria, B.C., and was later transferred to Whitehorse and then to Dawson in the Yukon.
In all, he spent eight years in the Yukon and saw and experienced the difficult times of the miners, trappers, and hunters that he has presented to us in verse.
During the Balkan War of 1912-13, Service was a war correspondent for the Toronto Star. He served this paper in the same capacity during World War I, also serving two years as an ambulance driver in the Canadian Army medical corps. He returned to Victoria for a time during World War II, but later lived in retirement on the French Riviera, where he died on September 14, 1958, in Monte Carlo.
Sam McGee was a real person, a customer at the Bank of Commerce where Service worked. The Alice May was a real boat, the Olive May, a derelict on Lake Laberge.
Anyone who has experienced the bitterness of cold weather and what it can do to a person will empathize with Sam McGee’s feelings as expressed by Robert Service in his poem, The Cremation of Sam McGee.

Windows into Elementary Art!

Art Show

The "Windows into Elementary Art" Show was a great experience. I was very pleased how well it turned out and by the number of families, friends and students who attended the show. It was too bad that my Quesnel (Kersley) students were unable to attend, but it was fun to see all of the other excited students!

It was so great to see the different displays that everyone did with their students, and how every piece was so unique! I think our Cohort did a fantastic job with teaching such diverse art lessons in our practicum. I want to try so many of them in my next practicum and with my own students (one day!). Thanks to everyone for doing such a great job! Well Done!

From the set up to clean up, working with everyone in the Art Show was great. As for my part, I first and for most helped with the set up and displaying my students work. Second of all, after a phone call from Linda (who was a great organizer) I brought in vases for the flowers. During the art show, I along with Adam and Meagan handed out the pamphlets at the far door, even though most people did not come through that particular door we managed to hand out a few. I offered a few times to take over Andrew's spot at the cake table, but I think he was enjoying the cake too much (we all know Andrew loves food!). Anyways, I think the success of the Art Show was due to everyone working cooperatively together and without the help of each and everyone it would not have been such a good experience.

Thanks!

Practicum

Teaching Art in my practicum was probably the most fun I had teaching in the 3 weeks. For Art I focused on Abstract Art. I showed a power point presentation on abstract art and had the students complete the same activity that we did at the Art Gallery (drawing to music). The kids had a blast!

I also continued with the abstract them when the students created their art work for the art show... see picture above of the trees.

In addition, the students wrote a biography about a pumpkin in language arts and I had them draw and colour a pumpkin portrait and 'decorate' their pumpkin that they 'brought to life.' They loved the pumpkin activity, Thanks Zakkiya!

I have attached some pictures from the practicum, Enjoy:)