Sibling Assignment #112: Old School Christmas Art Projects

It was my time to give the Sibling Assignment.  "Write a memory about Christmas related to an experience at school." ISilver Valley Girl's wonderful recollection of the Sunnyside Sixth Grade Christmas program is here and Raymond Pert's will be here soon.

When I think about Christmas as a child I have vivid memories about the holiday art projects we created in December. Friday afternoon after recess was always that sacred time for art at Sunnyside School.  Often the projects in December were used to decorate a tree, display in the hall or  lunchroom, plus some to take home as a gift for parents. I don't know how my elementary teachers managed to plan instruction along with the elaborate projects they organized during December. I wonder if art was extended beyond that hour on Friday in December? Retreating into my childhood memories today I remembered many projects, but it sometimes got a bit fuzzy as to what grade each project occurred. All I know is Christmastime during grade school was one big, happy memory of poster paint, glitter, crepe paper, and gold spray paint.

In second grade Mrs. Meyer introduced me to paper mache. She used an old hot plate to heat up the glue mixture we used and there were piles of newspaper strips as we covered ballons with the coating for an ornament. These ornaments were big! I am sure we found a place for mine on the tree, but in my child mind it was big.

I remember the pleasure of getting to choose paint and glitter to adorn on the ornament after it set.  After that year I don't know if I ever did much more paper mache, but I sure remember that ornament.

I wish I could remember the year we did the crepe paper Christmas trees. I am thinking it was either fourth or sixth grade, but maybe some of my Sunnyside classmates will have to fill me in. I know my tree is still at my mom's house. The trees were created by taking pieces of green crepe paper, rolling them into little balls and pasting them all together to make a tree on construction paper. We used yellow balls for the lights, then picked other colors for the ornaments. What sticks in my mind was the glue (no pun intended). If you used too much the crepe paper turned your fingers a bright green. I really must have loved this project because I did it with my own students when I began teaching. What I also remember is how long the project took. I think after too many green hands and colors of crepe paper running together, I switched to using white the next year and creating snowmen.

Another Christmas ornament project I remember seemed almost magical. We made these as a gift for our parents.  The teacher had us find old Christmas card pictures we liked. Then we rubbed Wesson oil on the card picture which made it see-through. Next we glued macaroni on gold canning rings, spraying them gold. We cut the picture to fit the circle inside and put a string to hang it on the tree. These were very beautiful. When the picture was up against a Christmas light, it seemed to glow. I may have to make these again now that I remember how beautiful they were. Mom liked mine so much she made them the next year with her students. I don't know what happened to that ornament. Maybe I will have to check the Christmas archives when I am home this year.

With the pressure of high stakes testing and  leaving no child behind today many projects like these memorable ones I remembered have gone away. My school day as a child wasn't any longer and I managed to learn to read, figure out math, write with neat penmanship, and understand concepts in science and social studies. The teacher had time to read a book after lunch each day, introduce us to poetry, and also provide art experiences. I believe in rigor in my classroom. I want all my students to read, write, and communicate effectively, but if I still had an elementary classroom I would have to figure out how to fit in canning ring or paper mache ornament making. Maybe we would have to get environmentally safe spray paint or masks would have to be worn in class.  The safety inspectors wouldn't let me heat up the glue mixture for paper mache on the counter and probably the crepe paper has something toxic in the dye. 

I don't care. I love old school style art projects. Of course... I still wish everyone a Merry Christmas also!

Three Simple Pleasures: Christmas Cactus, Contentment, Sunshine

1. I am so pleased JEJ found my camera today and captured images of our Christmas cactus in full bloom in the natural daylight. I miss that when I  leave and come home in the dark.

2. There is nothing like a dog and cat that get along. The other night Shelby and Isabelle watched the Zags game together contently on the Christmas blanket. Okay... maybe they rested their eyes and missed a bit of the game!

3. Even when the temperature drops below 20 degrees, it is nice to see the sunshine.

Three Simple Pleasures: Scrooge, Writing, Wool Socks

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1. I always enjoy teaching the play of "A Christmas Carol" to my seventh graders each December. I am so thankful between the Disney ads and the students' love for Jim Carrey they are motivated to read the Dickens classic this year.

2. While teaching writing to elementary students today I loved it when one student finished his story and asked, "May I PLEASE read a poetry book?" I smiled inside and out as I answered, "Yes, of course."

3. My striped wool socks were just what I needed as I stepped out of my car  into 14 degree weather at school today. Even after walking between buildings three times, my feet never got cold!

Three Simple Pleasures: Water, A Healing Finger, Wood Heat

Clare Grant introduced the original Three Beautiful Things each day on her blog which can be found here. My brother Raymond Pert uses this format often on his blog Kellogg Bloggin which can be found here. I think C. Colton was right when he said "Imitation is the sincerest of flattery." I am now going to imitate both of them posting Three Simple Pleasures each day this month.

1. A pipe broke in the building where I teach yesterday morning. Since the building used to be the elementary school, we have bathrooms in our rooms. I was able to fill up the water cooler before the water went off, but no restrooms were available until about 2:00 today. It is truly amazing how toilets, flushing, men coming in to fix toilet, and middle school boys finally getting to use the toilet could distract even the best lesson on characterization today. What a joy to have water again.


2. JEJ had to take a trip to the emergency room Monday. A group from church was helping split wood up the road and his finger got between the wood splitter and a piece of wood. After x-rays, stitches, and a big bandage he is on the road to recovery. As usual, he was his same calm self about the whole thing and I was exhausted just hearing about the whole ordeal. His finger is healing nicely.

3. The temperature took a big dip the last twenty-four hours. What a pleasure it was to sit in front of the wood stove after school today to warm my cold feet.

I Did It! Thirty Posts in Thirty Days!

This year I participated in the NoBloPoMo and did thirty blog posts in thirty days. Usually I try to always do a post a day, but this was an incentive to be sure I did one every day. It gave me an opportunity to revisit favorite poems to post. I also found pictures I hadn't shared. I was even able to show off JEJ's talent with the camera as I posted some of his amazing photos. Where did November go? As the winds began to blow, the night temperatures grew colder, and the leaves that were left on trees turned dry and brown November slipped by. I have a feeling the same thing will happen with December!

A Love for the Works of Wislawa Szymborska

I visited and revisited many poems during my Thanksgiving break. I have so many I want to share, but one that stayed with me was the one below by Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska. I can't think of a poem she has written that I haven't loved. Every time her name is listed in an anthology, I am sure to turn to that selection first.
I read this today about the1996 Nobel Prize winner for Literature on Poets.org.  "While the Polish history from World War II through Stalinism clearly informs her poetry, Szymborska is also a deeply personal poet who explores the large truths that exist in ordinary, everyday things. "Of course, life crosses politics," Szymborska has said "but my poems are strictly not political. They are more about people and life."

That is what I like. I like the larger truths she explores in everyday things. I have thought much about the last stanza. I have often wondered if I was missing something important, but not knowing it. Enjoy "A Note".

 

A Note

 

 Life is the only way
 to get covered in leaves,
 catch your breath on the sand,
 rise on wings;
 
 to be a dog,
 or stroke its warm fur;
 
 to tell pain
 from everything it's not;
 
 to squeeze inside events,
 dawdle in views,
 to seek the least of all possible mistakes.
 
 An extraordinary chance
 to remember for a moment
 a conversation held
 with the lamp switched off;
 
 and if only once
 to stumble upon a stone,
 end up soaked in one downpour or another,
 
 mislay your keys in the grass;
 and to follow a spark on the wind with your eyes;
 and to keep on not knowing
 something important.
 
~ Wislawa Szymborska ~