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End of the School Year!

It's that time again. I came back from parental leave just in time for the final week of school. I am super happy to be able to see the kids one last time to bring closure to the year. Before I sneak out trying to avoid the glare of the custodians I know must hate me, I'm working with students on a few final bits.

I have found that having each class take on one task makes things a lot easier. I am starting class this week by having each class sort out one material. I emptied the buckets of markers, crayons, colored pencils, chalks etc. and each class started with just 5 minutes of sorting. It is incredibly satisfying to see all the junky materials purged and have all the good stuff sorted by medium and color.


After kids take responsibility for care for the materials, we proceed with a simple project for the day. I like to start and end my school year with a big, collaborative piece. In the start of the school year, we talk about procedures and expectations then every class builds off the work of the previous class to build a giant paper mache sculpture. At the end of the year, I have students work together to make a giant collage. At my school, there is a giant (8 feet tall and 20 feet wide!) bulletin board by the main entrance. It is one of the first things people see as they enter the building, and I like to have student work welcoming everyone on day one. Every class contributes a little bit. This year, I am having kids make scenes like comic book panels showcasing our mascot, a whale, and our core values. For example, we have a panel of an underwater scene with diverse creature demonstrating acceptance of diversity and everybody's unique attributes. They decided to make a panel of a whale leading people to safety as a volcano erupts and the whale shoots water from it's blowhole to put out fires, then they say "find your own unique way to be a hero." Allowing students to make plans for these types of displays is wonderful because they are super creative and it celebrates the unique voice of our students. 
I have one more day of classes to contribute to the collage, and I'm confident a lot of kids will put in some effort polishing things up, but regardless, this project makes for a wonderful bookend to the school year. Students are using their talents and each contributing a little piece to make something far beyond what any individual could create. They are also learning to work together, to recognize the contributions of others, to build off of each other's work and find ways to enhance and appreciate other people's work even if it is not what they might have chosen for themselves. It also shows students that we as a school value their work and their voice. It gives students a sense of ownership over their learning environment, and in the fall, their artwork will welcome the students back to school and remind them of those important lessons.

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