Ancient China - blue and white porcelain inspired artwork from third grade

1st Grade - Ms. Drasheff's Class painting their clay birds

Be a Heart Hero

The physical education department is once again supporting the Jump Rope For Heart Event.  All donations are sent to heart-health research and medical expenses for those with heart-health issues.  On Friday, March 30, students will participate in a variety of activities to improve heart health.  Students will travel to the different stations to learn fun and creative ways to stay heart-healthy.  Please show your support by becoming a HEART HERO and donating to the American Heart Association before March 29, 2012.

For more information click here

Learning about Sam Gilliam

Sam Gilliam is an African American Color field painter associated with the Washington Color School, Abstract Expressionism and Lyrical Abstraction. He works on stretched, draped, and wrapped canvas, and adds sculptural 3D elements. Click here to find out more about Sam Gilliam?

Installation view, Sam Gilliam, Close to Trees, 2011 | Acrylic, polypropylene, nylon, and a mirror, site-specific installation. Courtesy the American University Museum Washington, DC

Watch four minute video about Color Field artists

Ms. Webster's kindergarten class was introduced to Sam Gilliam and experimented with blending colors.

African culture and ancient history

Above is a display of Ms. Koz-Calvo's third grade class 3-D Egyptian pyramids and fifth grade students miniature African masks made with model magic. The images below show Ms. Peaches and Ms. Wieder's final clay African masks.

Ms. King's first grade class quilt inspired by the ladies from Gees Bend, Alabama

Click on the links below to learn more

The quiltmakers of Gees Bend, Alabama

Interesting facts about Gees Bend

Examples of quilts from Gees Bend

If I were the President kindergarten art lesson

President Francis included himself, his family and his dog. Also, he will reside in The Black House. Did you notice the rainbow in the background?

 President Ella was inspired by artist Gilbert Stuart's Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington.

 President Fabrizio was inspired by the famous Washington Crossing the Delaware painting.

 President Jack remembered that President Washington was also General Washington and included a sword just like Gilbert Stuart did in the Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington.

In case you would like the see the two paintings mentioned above please click on the links.

Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851 and George Washington (Lansdowne Portrait), 1796

Don Tate will visit Polk

James K. Polk Elementary is hosting author/illustrator Don Tate on the afternoon of March 1. Students in grades 1, 2 and 3 will meet in the library with Mr. Tate to participate in a presentation to include sketches, poetry, visual aids and a question and answer session.

Learn more about Don Tate

Library updates from Mrs. Fuge

Tuesday February 14 is the second Reading Is Fundamental distribution of the school year. The theme is "Loving Books". Thanks to the PTA for providing this wonderful program for our students.

Third quarter topics for library class:
Fifth grade-reference sources
Fourth grade-historical fiction
Third grade-Roman and Greek mythology
Second grade-Native American folk tales
First grade-fiction types (fantasy, realistic and fairy tales)
Kindergarten-learning about the setting of a story

Nagashima Junior High School students from Izumi-gun Kagoshima Japan wrote letters to our fifth grade students at James K Polk Elementary. The students from Japan are studying English and wanted the opportunity to communicate with friends in America in English so during Ms. Shelton's art class our students illustrated and wrote Happy New Year cards to our new friends in Japan.

Music class for February

Mr. Dart is very excited to begin his unit on Spirituals for the month of February. The 4th and 5th grades will focus on the history of the genre in American culture. The students will also sing several historically significant spirituals, such as "Follow the Drinking Gourd", "Wade In the Water", and "Go Down, Moses" and discuss why they are an important part of American history.

All Kids Can Create

All Kids Can CREATE contest

Theme — "What Inspires Me"Children are inspired by many things, from the people they meet, to the sounds they hear, to the sights they see. These moments of inspiration can motivate us to help others, improve ourselves, and dream about the future. This year's call for art, which launches on the birthday of the inspiring civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., invites students to reflect on what inspires them and share those inspirations through art!

VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, was founded more than 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all. With 52 international affiliates and a network of nationwide affiliates, VSA is changing perceptions about people with disabilities around the world. VSA is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Deadline Sunday, April 8, 2012