The Ratner Montessori School Art Program

What an odd couple of weeks we have experienced! The students always impress me with their ability to adapt and focus on their work in art after missing classes. They are remarkable and teach me every day. I want to thank you all for your kind words, support and encouragement this year and I look forward to seeing everyone after winter break. I hope you all enjoy time together and find creative places to visit and art to create together.

Daido Moriyama, A snowy night in Hokkaido , 1978

Kindergarten Art

The Kindergarten class was the fortunate group that did not miss class time in art! We worked on the South America themed art for the VIP day celebration. Each student pin-punched the continent and then applied a zentangle design. They also created tie-dye art with bright colors and zentangle patterns for the stage. I hope you all enjoyed seeing the work at the celebration. 

Elementary I (1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade)

We unfortunately missed a few classes recently, so we are slightly behind schedule for finishing up the zentangle work. The majority of the 1st grade students have completed their zentangle mandalas and they all showed great improvement in their ability to decipher patterns independently.  This project requires concentration and a high level of detail. The 2nd grade class have all completed their work on their zentangle names. They showed a higher level of detail and more complicated patterns. The 3rd grade cubes are still in progress as the students are skilled at the most complicated designs which take time to create. After they complete their designs, we will go to the Maker Space to build a wooden stand to display their cubes.

Elementary II (4th, 5th and 6th Grade)

We had an unfortunate stretch of missed class time, but the students jumped right back into work this week and made significant progress on their work in the Maker Space. As they grow more comfortable using the power tools and understanding the process, the workmanship improves. I enjoy seeing increased independent problem solving, several students helping others and continued safe practices in the Maker Space. The 4th grade class have finished up work on their dowel constructed sculptures, work continues in the 5th grade on the napkin holder and we have just begun work in the 6th grade on the bird houses. We had a generous contribution of wood from Mrs. Cencus's father so we could build the bird houses. Thank You!

7th and 8th Grade Art

The majority of students have completed the cardboard portraits and they look incredible. They really show a marked likeness of each student and each artist showed strong creativity and exploration of the material. I appreciated the attention to detail and the ability to problem solve with this project. I am also happy to say that everyone used the tools carefully and were resourceful with the materials. We did not have an opportunity to mount the portraits for display, but will take care of that task when we return from winter break.