March is Youth Art Month. This month celebrates the young artists and the fantastic work they are doing with art. Just this year, students have created art that incorporates loved ones, their heroes, their favorite places, and the 7th grade 3D class is creating clay sculptures that are based off of South River Elementary students' animal creatures! The diversity of art in our school allows our students to be more creative and have better problem-solving skills. The following link is an awesome article by the Whitby School in Connecticut that explains just 6 life skills that art teaches our students. As our child's art teacher, I focus first on helping your students observe, problem solve, and teach them creative thinking skills before we begin projects. Then, the students dive right into their art and I assist them with any questions they may have.
During this art month, the Valley Smith House in Harrisonburg is having an RCPS artVISION showcase that features four of our Elkton Middle School students. These students are: Trinity Wheeler (8), Elizabeth Comer (8), Miranda Guzman (8), and Everly Good (6). These students' artworks are on display at the Valley Smith House from March 1-29th. The opening reception of this event is on Friday, March 1 from 5-7. I will be attending this grand opening from 5-6 so please drop by and see four examples of the incredible work our students have created this year.
As an art teacher I cannot thank you enough for the support the arts program receives at EMS. From the incredible parents who view, comment, and share their student's artwork on our online art portfolio, Artsonia, to the comments I get when work is in the front showcase from staff. Each and every one of you is appreciated. Have a wonderful Youth Art Month (YAM) and add the upcoming shows to your calendars for a sneak peek into the creative minds at EMS.