King Arts ** News from Arts & PE
February 2022
Black Lives Matter at School in the Arts
MLK Dream Drive
Dr. King Remembrance and Celebration
Visual Art with Ms. Vega
4th-5th grade artists are learning to connect artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context. They are looking at artwork from Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas who was known as the father of African American Art. Douglas created art that celebrated African and African-American themes. Students are creating cityscapes inspired by Aaron Douglas’ artwork.
Visual Art with Ms. Vega
Top left:Sara 7th; top right: Arriel 8th; bottom left: Dimitry 8th; bottom right: Honor 7th
Visual Art with Ms. Vega
Dance with Ms. Sheehan
In dance students are learning about Dr. Pearl Primus (1919-1994). In college she started study in Biology and Pre-Med. She could not get a job in her chosen career due to segregation. She used her research skills in her other interest: Dance. She was the first to receive a PhD. in Language using Dance. She began a life-long study of African and African-American material in the 1940s, and developed a repertory of dances emphasizing the rich variety of African diasporic traditions. Pearl Primus was known for her 5 foot high jumps!
“I dance not to entertain,” she once said, “but to help people to better understand each other.”
Dance with Ms. Sheehan
Drama with Ms. Querciagrossa and Ms. Szczepaniak
Library with Ms. Jaquess
In preparation for our Dr. Martin Luther King Assembly, students in grades 3,4 and 5 explored the friendship of Mahalia Jackson and Dr. King through the book Martin and Mahalia: His Words Her Song. In connection with the book, we observed the historical footage of Mahalia Jackson’s performance preceding Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech at the March on Washington. Inspired by the performance, students explored the “power of music” in peaceful protest.
Upcoming African American History month lessons include Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Musician Louis Armstrong, and Artist Laura Wheeler Waring.
Media Art with Ms. Wernecke
Students in 6th–8th Grade looked at the work of artist Bisa Butler. They enjoyed learning about her unique style, her exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago last summer, and how her personal experiences shape the work she creates in her portrait quilts.
Media Art with Ms. Wernecke
Music with Ms. Weinman
Music with Ms. Weinman
Students in Ms. Wolford’s class (4th-6th grade) performed “What do you know about Martin Luther King?” for our school-wide celebration in honor of Dr. King. They sang and played parts on pitched and unpitched percussion instruments.
Band with Ms. Church
K-5 Physical Education
K-5th has been working on paddle skills in PE class. 6th-8th grade started the pickleball unit. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country right now. It is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. K-8 have also been using scooters for a fun lower/upper body workout, traversing on the climbing wall to work on muscular endurance, jumping rope for cardiovascular endurance, and yoga poses for improving flexibility on fitness days.
Students at work in PE
Music with Mr. Smith
Elementary and middle school music classes celebrated the start of Black History Month by listening to and learning about black musicians like Chika, Black Violin, Jamilla Woods, Meghan Rice, and Anthony McGill. We also read and listened to poems by Maya Angelou, and learned about freedom fighters like Ella Baker, Audre Lorde, Rosa Parks, and Sojourner Truth.
5th graders worked diligently learning to sing and play ukuleles on our musical interpretation of Amanda Gorman’s poem and book, Change Sings, for last week’s MLK Assembly!