Making Masks

The big excitement this week had to be making masks.  Thanks to the Vancouver School Board's Artist in Residence program, potter, Phyllis Schwartz, is working with us.   For the first time in many many years I am teaching my own art.  The only thing more terrifying would be teaching my own P.E.  And although I like art and I like coaching that doesn't mean I actually feel confident or really enjoy teaching these subjects.  When I found myself teaching my own art, I told my principal that if anyone needed the artist in residence it was me!

Our school, having been an annex for many years, doesn't have a kiln, so our kids haven't had that opportunity of doing much with clay so I thought that this would be a good choice.  Having taken a pottery course myself, I knew how satisfying working with clay can be.
We have a wonderful SEA who has given many children the opportunity to work with plasticine and as a result I have had some amazing projects done with plasticine.  I thought that they would enjoy the opportunity to work with clay.  And they have.  I missed the last hour of their work yesterday as I was involved in a students individual educational plan meeting and forgot to get the camera out again so you will have to wait for a look at their finished masks.

It's been a crazy year due to job action we haven't been able to plan many field trips so it's nice to be able to give my students this type of opportunity.
Before we began the students wrote a bit about their masks and did a bit of research about masks.  I had them write how they felt after the first session and I will have them write again after we work on them on Monday after they have been fired.  Needless to say I have to bring writing into all things!  I know we are all looking forward to Monday afternoon!