Preschool Archives - Page 8 of 32 - Berkshire Country Day School

Where there’s smoke there’s POTTERY, the Evans/Spitzer takeover, and Westward HO HO HO!

NEWSFLASH from the Art Studios!

To cap off the end of the first trimester, Upper School ceramics students completed an ambitious pottery project involving traditional decorating and firing techniques inspired by the work of Magdalene Odundo. Clay pieces were burnished with terra sigillata and given an iron wash before being fired in saggars in an outdoor pit firing kiln which the students built by hand. Using bricks, wood pieces, and sawdust students assembled the pit, inserted their pieces, and lit the interior on fire before covering the top to preserve the high temperature and to produce smoke. The kiln burned for 24 hours before the final artworks were removed.

In other Arts Block news, Mr. Knoll’s Drawing students received a special visit from artist Valaire Van Slyck last week. The Detroit native paints urban scenes using auto-motive paints, acrylic, confetti, and glitter among other mixed media. Students were treated to individual conversations and critiques from Valaire as they worked on their graphic novel projects.

Teaching artists Ben Evans and Max Spitzer have stepped in to offer new media and experiences for our K-6 students! Kindergarten through Fourth Grade students are working with Mr. Evans this winter for an in-depth trimester of pinching, pounding, and hand-building with clay in the Ceramics Studio. Meanwhile, Mr. Spitzer takes charge of the Fifth and Sixth Grade classes as they delve into a term packed with drawing and painting projects. Great things are bound to emerge with this dynamic duo at the helm!

Students become cowboys and cowgirls as part of BCD’s contribution to the Berkshire Museum’s 2015 Festival of Trees. Fully embracing the theme “Westward Ho, Ho, Ho” in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibits, “Greatest Photographs of the American West” and “Go West“, Lower and Middle School students posed for photos which were then cut and pasted into authentic images of old west characters. Real and fictional, from Annie Oakley to Clint Eastwood, students embodied sharp shooters, outlaws, deputies, and lawmen. The images were printed in sepia tone, mounted on burlap, and hung on the tree with handwritten quotes from these characters along with other rustic, copper decorations. Click HERE to read more about BCD’s tree and the Festival of Trees in the Berkshire Eagle!

By BCD Blog|2021-09-13T09:56:24-04:00November 18th, 2015|

PreK Happenings

The weather has been so unseasonably warm this month! PreK has been spending a lot of time outdoors exploring. We have gone on hikes with Mrs. Heady, explored the GaGa pit (and got to play GaGa with some 1st and 2nd graders!), participated in a Halloween Parade, had a picnic lunch outside with the Kindergarten class, made Green Juice, experimented with glue/salt paintings… just to name a few fun things.

At lunch time we have been having discussions on where food comes from. Someone was eating strawberries and we talked about how strawberries come from a plant, but it is cold in The Berkshires and fruit plants do not grow again until the Spring. Then the students excitedly said “we get them from the supermarket!” Then I posed the question, “Yes…. but BEFORE the the supermarket where did they come from?” After a few days of deliberation the class came to the conclusion that fruits (and vegetables) come from warm places like California or Mexico. We also have a great new world map decal! Thank you Lucie and Temple!

One (very) warm day we spent exploring BCDs campus. Mrs. Heady took the group on a new hike, which the class loved. We ate lunch outside with Mrs. Patel’s class and got to play in the GaGa Pit. Mrs. Heady was even there with the 1/2 grade and she let PreK hop in and play! After a short rest we headed back outside to see the campus’s playing fields.

PreK had fun making AND drinking Green Juice. The class cut up 5 apples and washed and tore up kale and mint. We then ran it through the juicer. At first the juice was a very pale yellow from the apples. Then we added the kale and mint and it turned a dark leafy green! 7 out of 8 tried the juice and many asked for seconds or thirds! (I used an masticating juicer which is great for greens. We used one whole bunch of kale, a large handful for mint and 5 mixed variety of apples).

PreK has also been interested in the alphabet. We have been busy tracing names, writing letter in sand, making letters whenever we can!

Vicky

Upcoming events:

Thursday November 19th- Friendship Lunch with TK/K

Tuesday November 24th- Thanksgiving Soup (early dismissal)

By BCD Blog|2019-01-10T12:05:33-05:00November 15th, 2015|

5th Grade Visits Mass MoCA

Last week, 5th Grade students had an opportunity to get up close and personal with artworks by world-renown artists at Mass MoCA. In conjunction with our study of installation art, a guided tour focused on site-specific works by Francesco Clemente, Jim Shaw, and Clifford Ross. From Indian tents to failing superheros, to a 100 foot photograph, students participated in an active viewing experience that called for critical thinking, aesthetic interpretation, and personal reflection. Following the tour, the class had an art-making session in the museum’s Kidspace studio where visual prompts from the Jim Shaw exhibition allowed students to create their own narrative comic strips. Special thanks to Dr. Lederman and Debbie Jaferian for joining us on the adventure!

Back at BCD, the class is working on a collaborative installation of their own. Students wrapped over 200 paper cups in plaster strips that, when dried, yielded cup-like forms which were then dipped in purple, green, and blue paint. This week, the 5th Grade will work together to install the pieces in a space in the school. Stay tuned to see the final installation!

By BCD Blog|2016-10-25T15:02:28-04:00November 1st, 2015|

From Farms to Family

We started last week with a field trip to a family’s farm. The class got to see farm equipment, feed chickens, collect chicken eggs, eat snack in a corn maze, see a rabbit, and play in the sunflower field (and clear the middle of a sunflower field). This trip was particularly special because we finally got to see where the sunflowers we dissected came from! And we got to choose and take new sunflowers back to the class. A big “Thank You” to our hosts, David and Natalie, and our chaperones, Temple and Diana.

Last Friday we celebrated Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day. We rehearsed our two songs during the week. We tidied our classroom and made special bookmarks for our guests. We were filled with excitement all week! The children were so excited to show their guests our classroom, especially the building materials.

I introduced new technology into the classroom, a Zoomy digital microscope. The class explored things in the classroom, including skin and clothing. We are taking our time and beginning to take a closer look at the objects that surround us.

This year was the first time that PreK experienced Mountain Day. What fun! The class boarded the bus (a first for most of the children) and headed to Kennedy Park. Along with the TK/K class we walked up a path and met the 1st-3rd graders. We sat in a large circle and listened to the story of the Aspinwall Hotel rise and fall. After that, we ate lunch on a lookout. We then participated in many different activities before hiking back down to the bus to return to school.

We had a special visitor, Chris (Nicolette’s dad), come to our class. He taught us how to do Mad Libs! As a class we all created three VERY funny stories together! Thank you, Chris! We also had, an impromptu, read aloud at lunch from Temple (Chase’s dad). Thank you, Temple!

Vicky

By BCD Blog|2019-01-10T12:06:07-05:00October 19th, 2015|