Goshen Center School
December 14, 2017
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Goshen Center School Families,
During this season of giving we are conducting three successful charity drives at our school. The first was our GCS Food Drive which was a huge success in helping to fill the Goshen Food Pantry. This initiative was sponsored by our GCS Student Council. Thank you to everyone who was able to donate non-perishable items. We also held a pajama drive in which all three Region 6 elementary schools participated. Goshen families donated 18 sets of pajamas, and Morris and Warren donated 15 and 12 sets respectively for a grand total of 45 pairs of pajamas. Thank you to everyone who participated in helping less fortunate children enjoy a warm and cozy night sleep! Finally, our Student Council has been collecting hats, mittens, gloves and other winter items which have been placed on our Giving Tree in the main lobby of GCS. The tree is covered in beautiful donations which will be donated next week. We are so fortunate to have so many kind and giving families here at GCS.
Thank you all!
Warm regards,
Tracy Keilty
Goshen Center School Principal
Norman Rockwell Museum Field Trip
Last week, Senior Blended (Warren School) and 5th and 6th grade students (James Morris and Goshen Center Schools) had the opportunity to visit one of great American artist’s gallery, showcasing Norman Rockwell’s artwork at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. Students investigated the narrative aspects of Rockwell’s art and discovered the wide range of stories of communicated through illustrated images. In addition to observing Rockwell’s many Saturday Evening Post magazine illustrations, students observed Tony DiTerlizzi’s exhibition of works by the #1 New York Times bestselling author/illustrator, Never Abandon Imagination which showcased over 200 original paintings and drawings. Known for his multi-million bestselling book series The Spiderwick Chronicles, DiTerlizzi is celebrated the world over for his images of such fantasy creatures as fairies, trolls, sprites, and goblins.
Tech Talk
Click here for Family Tech Tips for the Holiday.
Teaching for Artistic Behaviors (TAB). What is TAB? By Laurie Sweet
Greetings from the art world!
My initiative for teaching a new philosophy and different methodology, Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), was inspired originally by attending the National Arts Education Conference in New York City (March 2017). I attended a presentation about Samantha Varain’s MA thesis, Choosing Creatively: Choice-Based Art Education in an Inclusive Classroom. Ms. Varain’s research showed 100% engagement by students in a choice-based learning environment. When I attended the Northwest Arts Council workshop at EdAdvance (Spring 2017), the TAB model, which was originally founded in Massachusetts over 35 years ago and is a “nationally recognized education approach in teaching,” was also a top topic of discussion.
Through TAB, students experience authentic exploration and learning practices that are interest based. Centers may vary but often include: Drawing, Painting, Collage, Fiber Arts, Clay/Ceramics, Sculpture, and Printmaking. In the Region 6 elementary art classroom, an additional center may include Mixed Media, in which more than one material is used in the artmaking process. TAB aligns with the workshop model that promotes student-centered choice-based learning through centers in the art room. Choice-based art experiences support multiple intelligences and learning modalities, which in turn generate student engagement.
All elementary students are now on the journey of art center-based learning. Primary grades have more modeling and introduction to skills for the success of experimenting with various tools and materials, while the upper grades have more independence in designing and implementing an Art Project Plan. There is an openness and willingness to make mistakes and to be reflective of self and peers during the process and the final product. While one objective is to strive to develop Craft (quality work with use of materials), other objectives include: Engage and Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Stretch and Explore, Understand the Art World, and Reflect. These Studio Habits of Mind objectives are credited to The Art of Education, which link directly to the TAB mindset.
Students have been unpacking centers by experimenting with tools and materials and generating artwork that does not necessarily look the same as everyone else’s. There may be times that students create a similar project to learn a new skill, but more often than not, the art experiences may be messy as a means of revising. The TAB journey allows for mistakes, revisions, and abandonment of a project (at times) to allow for authentic and real-world experiences.
As past practice, most 2D art projects will come home, as a collection, in a portfolio in early June. The portfolio allows for work to come home undamaged and to house a body of work throughout the academic year for displays, art shows, and assessment. Students will keep sketchbook journals to include drawings and reflections of their process.
There will be projects and/or practices in the trying out of tools and materials that come home from time to time, but the real journey will be in student exploration of projects of interest. Please do not hesitate to volunteer in the art room or reach out to me at lsweet@rsd6.org. Thank you so much.
Of note: Donations of materials such as magazines, newspapers, cardboard, egg cartons, etc. are always welcome.
ATTENDANCE
RSD6 Reading Celebration
WOW WALL
Message from Mrs. Bills - Vocal Music
Save the Date!
This year, our annual Winter Vocal Music Concert will be held on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in the James M. Eisenhaure Auditorium at Wamogo. This concert will feature all of the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from Warren, Morris, and Goshen. The concert will also include performances from the Inter-Elementary Select Choir. Snow date for the rehearsal and concert will take place on Wednesday, December 20, 2017. Dress code for the concert is white on top, black on the bottom. Please ask your child for additional information, or you may visit my website my clicking here.
2017-18 School Improvement Plan
Dates to Remember
Dec. 14 -Winter Elementary Vocal Concert @ Wamogo-6:00pm
Dec. 15 - Three school Reading Celebration at JMS grades k-6
Dec. 15- 7:00pm-9:00pm-FNO @ GCS
Dec. 18- 7:00pm-8:00pm-PTO Meeting
Dec. 19 - Beginning Band Informance & Jazz Band at Warren School @ 5:30 pm
Dec. 21-Town Tour with Superintendent Leone 7pm-9pm in GCS cafeteria
Dec. 22- Annual Holiday Sing A Long- 2:45pm @ GCS
Dec. 25-Jan1- Winter Recess
Jan.11 - 5th & 6th Grade Winter Concert in the Wamogo Auditorium @ 6:30 pm
Jan 2- School Reopens