The Studio is in Full Swing

 Good news!  The studio is back by popular demand and there is an obvious interest in dramatic play already emerging.  Our little market is regularly attended by shop keepers, shoppers, bankers and more.

A daily aroma of fresh cooked rice fills the air and has become a regular topic of conversation: "What's that smell?", "It smells like popcorn!", "Where does rice come from?", "How do you cook it?", "Why is it white and sticky?" But mostly they enjoy the act of eating rice and chatting with friends about school, home, family and their varied interests.

The communication center is taking off, with letter writing and card making.  We've had cards to families, pets, friends and even fairy princesses.

 The garden is also ripe for the picking and the children are benefiting from a garden-to-table approach, washing and preparing the vegetables before sharing them with one another.

It's sure to be another wonder-filled year.

Start of the year

Classrooms are filling up with children, many of whom are getting to know their environments and routines for the first time.  It is so beautiful to hear the hum of activity in the school.  At this time of year I am reminded just how courageous children are.  They encounter so much newness every day, often coming up against their own comfort thresholds and passing through into the unknown.  They are an inspiration and whenever I hesitate on the precipice of my own unfamiliar territories I think of them.  

The studio differs from the classrooms.  It's an open-ended environment informed by Montessori and guided by the philosophies of Reggio-Emila.  Our research question sets the course for our year of study but where we go, how our learning develops and where we will land is entirely up to the children.  It's a wonderful journey of discovery and each of you are invited to come along, share in the process and contribute your own unique perspectives, experiences and voices along the way.

The studio is prepped and ready to set sail.

ART on the MOVE: August 9th at the Denver Botanic Gardens

The children spent the morning observing details and making connections everywhere...

From tracks in the trails...

to the shapes, lines and colors presenting themselves to us from every angle...

the children never fail to astonish me with their ongoing sense of wonder and enthusiasm for life.

When our time together draws to an end, we gather in a circle to share our illustrations and a few of the many things we delighted in along the way.

This round of Art on the Move has been so successful, that I am considering continuing it once per month throughout the year.  I will keep you posted!

CGMS 2016-2017 Studio Research Question

Collaboration. Communication.  Compassion.  Connection. Creativity.

In our culture, we connect with one another primarily through words. As an educator, I am baffled that we are never taught how best to use them.  We are taught what they are.  We are taught to disconnect from the experiential realness of a tree in favor of the mental construct filed under T-R-E-E, but we are never taught how to use words to deepen and foster ongoing connection.  Much of our interpersonal dialog stems from interpretations, perceptions and evaluations (all of which take place from a sense of internal “separateness”) and then we are dismayed when our efforts to connect don’t further our needs for connection.  It’s a pretty distressing loop and educational oversight.  

As an early childhood educator, I approach education as collaborative research alongside coworkers, families and the remarkable children I work alongside throughout the year.  My current research question is: 
“How might creative expression/communication be nurtured and scaffolded to further interpersonal connection, dialog and community?”.  
In our faced paced, technology driven world it is paramount that we cultivate a habit of turning toward life, whether that be a tree, another human, an animal, a need or whatever is presently offering itself for connection at this time and with increasing skill and openness.  

When you enter the studio this year, you will see evidence of this question throughout the prepared environment.  There will be a writing station with a mail center, more invitations for dramatic play and opportunities for collaboration, alongside many of the tools of representation we use throughout the year to express ourselves in the many languages of childhood.

As always, YOU are a central part of this discovery and community.  We learn together.  If you have any interest or desire to join me in the studio, do not hesitate to contact me!  I'm looking forward to another amazing year!

Your Studio Teacher,

Angelina

ART on the MOVE, July 25th at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Whenever I take the children on an excursion through the Gardens, I discover something new.  They generously offer a fresh perspective on the beauty all around us.  Before leaving the lobby we had a group meeting.  First step... group communication.  After a brief chat, we settled on two code words: I Spy and Draw.  I Spy, to announce when a member of our group encounters something "amazing" to share. Draw to announce when someone wants to, well, draw.  With communication in place it was time to clarify who was the teacher.  I asked, "Please raise your hand if you are a teacher here."  Fortunately, most of the children knew the answer from years spent in the studio with me and soon our little group stood in a circle of raised hands.  I reminded them that they are the best researchers and teachers I know and that I would be recording their observations and thoughts through the Gardens.  They smiled confidently at me, ready to begin... and so we entered.  Here are a few of their discoveries:

I Spy!  Look at this leaf!  It looks like a lilypad and a leaf at the same time.  It's a flower leaf.  Yea, it's like a lily pad blooming but not on water.  

I Spy!  It's a cactus.  It's pokey.  It looks like barnacles on a whale.  The spikes keep birds from sitting on them.  Well not all birds, owls can get into a cactus and make nests in them.  Yea, some birds can make homes in even a cactus.

I Spy!  It looks like beautiful green and purple baby corn.  There's such a thing as purple corn.  I've seen it.  Yea, it's Indian corn.  I think some people call it blue corn but it's purple too.  I've tasted it.  It's good.

Draw!  These flowers are so fluffy.  They feel like pillows.  It's a whole bunch of little flowers growing together.  It's big and soft and really light.  Let's call it a "Puffy-fluffy-white"!

I Spy!  This volunteer came by with a 250 year old bonsai.  The children then spotted this tree with many eyes, which led to a conversation about all the things a tree sees in it's lifetime.

Draw!  Here the children each found their own inspiration amidst a flowery bounty.

When drawings were complete they shared them with the group.

 Can you spy our friends hiding in the tall grass pictured above and below?  Ask your child for help.

Draw!  The lily pond is a source of wonder for many of us.  While the children examined its many colors, flowers and more, they grew quiet with contemplation and focus... a natural byproduct of any nature immersion.

It was another remarkable day in the garden, learning and relearning alongside the children.
Hope to see you next time!

ART on the MOVE July 12th at the Botanic Gardens

A small group of children joined me for a wonder-filled walk through the Botanic Gardens in Denver.  I am always amazed by how much I learn alongside the children.  For instance, did you know that every branch of a cottonwood tree contains a star?

Or that if you look closely at golden yellow flowers you can see the sun, "...like light beams growing up out of the ground"?

The children led the way through a very small section of the Gardens, there was just too much packed into each garden plot to move very quickly.   Our code word was "I-SPY", so whenever someone called, "I-SPY", the group stopped to see whatever beautiful miracle was in our midst.

This tiny bee prompted an observational drawing session. The children noticed that each bee "...goes to work and gets nectar from a flower to make honey".  They also pointed out that bees have stingers and tongues and bodies and heads and wings.

One member of our group shared a beautiuful brick in honor of his beloved sister Juliette. We all gathered around her commemorative stone to share in the beauty of nature all around us and the lasting embrace of love.

 We stopped often to snack and draw from our natural muse.

As gardeners worked on the irrigation system, our group noticed a rainbow shimmering amidst the sprinkler spray, noting "...when the sun gets together with the water it makes a rainbow".

At the lily pond they noticed if they touched the surface of the water it "...made like sound waves that looked like circles going out and kind of vibrating".  We also enjoyed smelling the various olfactory gifts unique to each garden and flower.

It was a wonderful morning and we all agreed that it went by much too fast!
The children never cease to inspire me and fill me with a deep awe in the presence of life's majesty.