Reflecting on the Year

At the start of the school year, I wrotethis post that gave an overview of why I thought it was going to be a great one. As we finished up just over a week ago, it has been fun to reflect on those predictions and to consider what became of them as we progressed through a school year that was one of the most successful in my 14-year career. 

Here is a review of my five factors of a fun year outlined and predicted back in the fall:

1. ArtPrize

One of the best ways we started the school year was being able to see our work from the prior Spring installed at Monroe Community Church for ArtPrize9. Having our school and program represented in such a great venue was an awesome thrill for my students and me. It was great fun to visit the venue during the ArtPrize festivities and even see the work on the news as MCC was selected for the Juror's shortlist of outstanding venues. 

This piece now has a home in our library and I am so excited that students will be able to enjoy it for years to come at WMS and remember how they were a part of this great, collaborative, work! Even better is that this work gave us the confidence to do it again, now with our entire k-12 school. We cannot wait for September when that work will go on display at The Downtown Market! Remember to vote 67314.

2. Robots and more

Since 2011, I have applied for and received over $13,000 in resources from DonorsChoose.org. This year accounts for almost half of that with nine projects being funded. Thanks to the generosity of donors and matching funds from a variety of organizations, we were able to bring robotics, 3D printing, hands-on projects, digital equipment, and more to add valuable experiences for my students in the classroom. 

Thank you again to everyone who helped bring these resources into my classroom and positively impact student engagement with curriculum and content. I am currently working on getting Scholastic Art Magazines to help build literacy skills through art. If you are interested in helping us out, please visithere to donate.

3. Scholastic Awards

Since 2008, the BCPS Visual Arts program has had 15 students recognized at the National level for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. To end the school year celebrating student success at the national level again this year was such a great way to reflect  on and propel us into the next school year. I know this opportunity is one students will seize again next year because of students that paved the possibility of achieving such honors. I am thankful for everyone who helped make this year possible and am excited to see what next year brings! 

4. Collaborative Projects

I love working collaboratively with students and seeing students working collaboratively together. This year was probably the most collaborative year yet. From the first say of school, where students painted rocks to go around our flagpole to the last days of school as we worked on our ArtPrize10 piece, the year was filled with different collaborative works students created. 

I have some ideas for next year's collaborative opportunities and am excited to get working on it, especially the works that will be publicly installed! 

5. The Unexpected

This year was pretty great. Every year I wonder how it is possible to top the year before. This was a year filled with new opportunities, for both my students and me, to get engaged with art in really interesting ways. Whether it was putting work into new competitions, shows, or connecting with classrooms to make a greater impact, I think this was a really special year and one I will reflect on positively for years to come. 

I hope everyone had a great end to their school year and is enjoying a lovely summer. I look forward to taking some time to make art, read books, laugh with friends, and gear up for my 15th start in September!