TerraNichol Academy of the Arts
Our story and journey learning through play. 21st-24th, 2020
Our Journey Through Learning Labs
"Do you want to build a snowman?" Students enjoyed sensory experiences building snowmen out of playdough and pretend snow this month. We had snowmen from the very, very small to large snowmen! Students also pretended to fill buckets of fake snow and make snow muffins and cakes!
This week on the playscape we had doctors, race car drivers, inventors, architects, builders, scientists, researchers, artists, and veterinarians. A joy to watch as the students continue to work towards their goals for the remaining semester of school.
Art, Art, and masterpieces, everywhere! The students made their mark this month inspired by the books "The Dot" and "Ish" by Peter Reynolds. They used oil pastels, watercolors, tempera paint dabbers and so much more to make vibrant rainbow prints and pictures. Art appreciation books help celebrate "International Creativity Month. "We explored "Ish" during drama and acted out our feelings such as:
- Happy-ish
- Excited-ish
- Sad-Ish
- Confused-ish
- Angry-ish
- Silly-ish
We also created sketches of our feelings during yoga meditation.
We explored snowflake art at the outdoor easels mixing paint colors and creating new colors such as snowy white, sky blue, diamond white, winter blue all named by the students.
In the creative writing workshops, students are creating stories, practicing storytelling, poetry and sketching about protecting arctic animals. Penguins have been the main focus as the students expressed that they wanted to research and investigate what they wonder and about penguins. They also have been adding winter wonderland backgrounds to their writing pieces. Students have been demonstrating their stages of cutting with scissors by cutting icicles and pasting their cutting onto paper. In Math students have been charting, What animals hibernate?
Yoga Workshop
Wow! The students are gaining strong balance skills, self-regulation, mental and physical health as they have engaged in movement over the last semesters in the yoga workshop. We are seeing such progress in their skills. Their favorite poses are Warrior 1,2,3. We have learned downhill skier pose, snowboarding poses, and ice skater pose! We practiced our winter yoga flow, read the book "Jenny's Winter Walk" and "Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear" and "Snow Dance". We discussed what adventure Jenny will take next in our yoga story "Jenny's Winter Walk".
Breathing Techniques-WInter Focus Breath is a powerful breath.
We will continue working towards our yoga goals this month by demonstrating our partner yoga poses such as snowshoeing, sledding, bobsleigh, making a snowman and snow angels.
Robot Invention Workshop with Miss Kristi
The students were so excited about the robot invention workshop presented by our art enrichment teacher Miss Kristi. This project involved woodworking, fine motor development, imagination, brainstorming robot invention design, creating names for our robots and picking out lots, and lots of loose parts to glue and finalize our robot inventions. By getting your kids involved in robot projects and robot games, engineering, mathematics, and other science projects at an early age you allow them to learn the basics of programming, advanced intellectually, grow in confidence, and teach kids to become more prepared for the constantly advancing world. The Robot masterpieces will be displayed in the Annual School Art Gallery Showcase exhibit.
What we learned about the artist Vassily Kandinsky.
- He is from Russia
- Color was incredibly important to Kandinsky.
- He felt the effect of colors so strongly, he even claimed that looking at colors made him hear musical sounds.
- He was one of the first artists to develop "abstract" art-art that doesn't try to show actual objects, people or scenes.
- Kandinsky said he began to experiment after seeing a picture that had fallen on its side. Seen sideways, he didn't recognize it. Instead, he saw an abstract arrangement of shapes and colors and found that much more interesting.
Upcoming Next Week:
Glazing our Sea Grape Hibiscus Clay Bowls
Creating Robots with Recyclable parts.
Inspire your Heart with Art
Nature sculptures in eco-village
Sidewalk chalk heart rainbow photos
Planet Patrol Messages-Embrace, respect and take care of the earth.
Culinary Arts-homemade Hot chocolate station
Robot Enrichment Workshop with Miss Kristi
Art Appreciation-Kandinsky
"Kandinsky was especially interested in color, even as a child. Beginning in his earlier, more realistic paintings, Kandinsky used color to show emotion rather than to make objects look real. As he grew as an artist, Kandinsky became more concerned with the power of color in describing what he was feeling. He wanted to use color to make his viewers feel emotion, too...
.....Gradually, Kandinsky became more abstract. He began to paint objects as patches of color instead of painting perfect details such as facial features or individual leaves on trees. Kandinsky had studied the human body and knew how to paint people well; however, he liked the abstract more than the realistic. As he grew as an artist, his figures became less realistic until the viewer could no longer identify known objects in his paintings..."
Yoga Workshop
Drama and Music Workshop
International Creativity Month-Parent Article on Exploratory Art at Home!
We are looking for parent co-op volunteers for special projects.
- Repair Outdoor Art Easels
- Repair the playhouses.
- New benches for the dramatic play area.
All items would need to be weatherproof no wood. Recycle wood composite.
We would need the projects completed by March.
Mark Your Calendars
February
3rd School Closed for Professional Day
14th School Closed for Mini Break
17th School Closed for President's Day
March
12th School Closed for Professional Day
13-20th School Closed for Spring Break
January
International Creativity Month
31st Inspire your heart day
31st Backwards Day
February
Random Acts of Kindness and Fairy House Month
2nd Take your child to the library
14th Friendship Dance and Tea Party
20th Love Your Pet Day
22nd Walk The Dog Day
March
3rd Different colored shoe day
10th National Day of Awesomeness
20th Day of Happiness
TERRANICHOL ACADEMY OF THE ARTS INNOVATIVE PROGRESSIVE REGGIO EMILIA PRIVATE PRESCHOOL
Upcoming Tours
January 13th @9:30pm
February 10th @9:30pm
March 9th @9:30pm
April 13th @9:30pm
May 11th @9:30pm
RSVP Click on the link to submit a letter of intent and application prior to the tour.
http://www.terranichol.com/parents
TerraNichol Academy of The Arts School is the kind of school parents expect, educators celebrate and children adore. Our approach to learning celebrates the great potential of young children, with the goal of nurturing self-motivated, life-long learners. The learning labs are guided by our Master Teachers as well as the Founder of TerraNichol Academy of The Arts Preschool with low teacher-to-child ratio to allow for one-on-one engagement and thoughtful observation. Join our small community school for a backstage tour and be inspired by our thoughtful team of Early Childhood Educators here at TerraNichol Academy.
Come and Explore our Reggio Emilia program at TerraNichol Academy acclaimed for the stunning environments, their educators who create, provoke and dazzle the student's senses, invite curiosity and discovery, and most importantly, foster strong, respectful meaningful relationships.
Come learn about the values for children in the program:
Being a home away from home
connecting children to their families
helping children to be powerful and active
being a steward of the natural world
seeing oneself as a capable learner
recognizing and being curious
We provide a school environment that is beautiful and taken care of with an attitude of care so that parents, children, and teachers want to come to school every day.
It is with intelligent heart and courage that we continue our goals and vision to continue to proceed the work of a child.
Email: terranicholacademy@gmail.com
Website: www.terranichol.com
Location: 701 Old Englewood Road, Englewood, FL, United States
Phone: 941-474-3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerraNichol-Academy-of-The-Arts-School-257753271185/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @terranichol