Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/837825
Around School Arts Partnership in Art Since establishing our Uptown Partnership in 2012, Latin teachers have sought out opportunities to develop meaningful connections through which students can learn, enhance their empathy and develop perspective. One example is the collaboration between lower school art teacher, Brenda Van Halsema Friedman, and Sabrina Severns, art teacher at Courtenay Language Arts School in Uptown, who for the last few years have created a rich experience for their third- grade students while learning about architect Louis Sullivan. Brenda offers insight into this effort: "Students learn a little bit about historic preservation, as many of Sullivan's buildings are no longer standing. ey wonder why this is the case and they discuss the missteps of tearing down our masterpieces. ey see pictures of the old Chicago Stock Exchange Building, one of Chicago's first skyscrapers, and learn that the remnants are now at the Art Institute, including the arched entrance and a re-creation of the trading room interior. We also discuss the Sullivan-designed Auditorium Building on Michigan Avenue, which many students have visited. ey learn that it was one of the first multi-use buildings of the era, and it reflects Sullivan's basic philosophy of architecture: how a building is like a tree. "As part of our partnership, Sabrina and I both teach students how to make a relief clay tile ornament in the style of Sullivan. ere are eight steps to creating the tile, which provide lots of opportunities for students to collaborate as they make their tiles. Some steps involve helping the partner next to you, i.e., holding the clay canvas mat for a student who is using the rolling pin to roll out a slab of clay; sharing the templates to cut out the square; sharing the slats of wood to form the beveled edge. Students then use an array of clay tools to dig into the clay and complete their tile creation. "For the past two years, we have reconnected these groups of students as fourth graders for a shared reading/art/theater project. Meeting up with a friend from the year before is a highlight for them, and one of our goals is to keep the relationships going." 22 Around School