Mrs. Schmidt's Christmas Baking Day

 This is a pizzelle iron.  "Pizzelle" in Italian means small, flat and round. This machine is similar to a waffle iron, but the cookie comes out smaller and flatter than a waffle. 

These cookies are closely associated with family.  In fact, pizzelle irons can be specially made with the pattern of a family’s crest.  

 Here are the finished cookies - all EIGHT DOZEN of them!! 

Below is a close up of one of the cookies.

 

 Next, ...uh-oh...hold on while I get the doorbell... 

 

 It's here...this is the famous ONE fruitcake that has circled the world.  (Why are there two of them then?!)  This year it's MY TURN to have the fruitcake. 

 Here we have the Scottish shortbread ready to chill for a while.  Isn't that what I tell some of my students sometimes?

The finished cookies!  Yummy - these are so simple but delicious.

Tomorrow, I have planned: peanut brittle, mini peanut butter cups and date bars. 

An Artist Who Paints on Maps

My fourth and fifth graders recently completed their self-portraits on maps.  Some of them really had a difficult time with the concept of using an alternate material and wanted to use plain, old white paper.  Well here is proof that artists are innovators and think "outside the box."  I came across this artists work while researching something else and thought my students would like to see her work.  Her blog address is www.rachelannaustin.com/custom-map-paintings.  

Victorian Gingerbread House

For my first and second graders who are studying and making their own Victorian mansions - this is a life-size one made of gingerbread in Disney World.

Third Grader's Ancient African Amulets

Check Out Beauclerc's Latest Art Projects!!

 These are self-portraits done in the style of the Fauvists in the early 1900's.  They were drawn on maps!

This Transformation Could Work for an Art Room, Too

This video is inspiring. I can totally relate to this teacher's yearly dilemma of not having a classroom. Wouldn't it be wonderful for the students (and me) if some anonymous benefactor "donated" an art room to us? I can have my fantasies....

Chaos in the Art Department!

I am really happy to see all my wonderful Beauclerc students at school every day!  We have had art classes for just two weeks now and I am really impressed with how they handled a higher-level, critical thinking activity we did during the first class.  Even the first graders really caught on!  We have been working on Tree Maps, which basically mean putting things into categories based on similarities.  I passed out groups of cards that had museum objects and paintings on them.  We began with a broad topic such as Sculpture, then broke it down further and further into categories, like Made of Wood, Made of Metal, Figures, Objects People Use.  Most students thought we were playing a game!

Oh, that wasn't the chaos!  The chaos has been for me - my office off the cafeteria has been leaking water from the large air conditioner units in the ceiling above me.  Every day I have had to move everything off the shelves and onto the floor, because I have no where else to put them.  Three times workmen came out and said they fixed it, but the next day, after I put all my things back, the water leaked again! The last time it happened the water soaked my Teacher Editions, my transparencies, and other books that I had put together for art lessons.  They are drying out in my office right now. 

All this moving of things is really putting me behind in getting student materials ready.  I suppose it will mean staying late every night to do so. 

I have some interesting lessons planned for students, however, this year once again the resource budget gets smaller.  Instead of seeing students every other week I will only be seeing them once every 13 days.  This limits what I can do.  Also limiting what I can do is being on a cart this year.  Projects will have to be smaller and not as much "messy" things will be done such as painting. 

Summer Events

On Saturday, July 14th, my daughter Abrianna (right side) and her friend Erin ran the Ronald McDonald House 5K in San Marco. It was a HOT night - I don't know how anyone could walk in that heat let alone run.  But she and her friend tied for FIRST PLACE in their age category!  I am so proud of her!  The girls have also been doing volunteer work at the House, doing arts and crafts with the children. Way to go!  And she came up with the idea herself to volunteer. I am so proud-can't you tell?

Lucha Libre Mask Video

Try our video maker at Animoto.

So Sad to See the School Year End, But...

It has been a great year teaching art at Beauclerc for the most part.  I was able to actually have an art room for you this year (and hoping and wishing for one next year!)  You learned a LOT and I certainly want you to do well on the end of year tests (second and fifth graders).

I am definitely not sad to see the doubled classes end.  I have to say those classes did not accomplish as much as the "normal" sized classes. Let's hope we won't have to do that again!

The Kids Art Fair is next week and I will be happy to see many of you there with your families.  We expect a great crowd!

Kids Art Fair and Music Night May 24th

Make plans to come out for our third annual Kids Art Fair on Thursday, May 24th at 6:00 p.m.  This year it will be held to coincide with the performance of the Chorus and Orff Ensemble at 7:00.  Students have been working really hard on their projects all year.  Every few months, I rolled out the next grade level's project so it would not become too overwhelming for me. I have to fill out the backs of the art papers, alphabetize each class's work, and coordinate getting the flyers out and posters up advertising  the event.  That's 1,200 students, folks!!  It is really a joy to see the satisfaction and pride on my students' faces when they see their artwork framed and on display.  And as you may know, its proceeds are the major source of funding for the art program.  With the budget cuts this year, the art budget was only $80 for the ENTIRE YEAR for the ENTIRE SCHOOL. 

And just a heads up - I heard the chorus practicing today and they sounded like angels...