Publishing (Christa Bell, Instructor)
Students this week worked on content for the first edition of The Thinker, the weekly student-published newspaper. Content ideas ranged from jokes and puzzles to coverage of the program’s first meeting about the government. They all wrote their own articles and contributions then practiced reading and editing each other’s work. Then we brainstormed content ideas for week 2’s edition and discussed the basics of news values (what makes something news) and how we make decisions about what’s most important to people who are (in our case) reading the paper.
Tuesday and Wednesday worked on content and made decisions about the style of the paper.
Thursday – did layout and continued to work on content. Brainstormed for Week 2.
Friday – discussed news values, layout and design principles and made decisions about story placement. The second class finished the layout and folded papers after they were printed.
Musical (Greg Stratton, Instructor)
We read through the script and blocked 4 songs and some dialogue scenes. As Week 1 continued, we worked through blocking.
Drawing (Shawna Nile Batchelor, Instructor)
Our first week of Drawing was about getting to know each other using prompts and drawing from the imagination. By witnessing each other’s drawing styles and responses to the same prompts, we learned a little more about our unique perspectives and how the same starting point can yield dramatically different results. Beginning with drawing from the imagination is also a great way for the instructor to gauge skill levels, working styles, interests, and personality. The first week is a key time for observing and establishing group dynamics and setting the stage for our work together over the next few weeks.
Tuesday, June 9 (Both Classes)
Introduction and Getting To Know Each Other
After meeting the instructor and hearing about her background and interest in art, students were given a few minutes to think on the following points and write them out on an index card before sharing with the class:
- Drawing experience
- Summer learning goals
- Favorite things/ways to draw
Next, on four larger blank index cards, students were given the following categories and asked to choose a word for each category, then write each one on a card labeled with their name:
- Texture
- Place
- Feeling
- Animal
Each student then passed their cards to the student on their left, who flipped the cards over, put their name on them, and drew a sketch for each word.
Using the sketches made on each card, students created a drawing combining all of the elements into one drawing– whether via story or composition. The results were wonderful and very interesting!
Wednesday, June 10
Class begins with an overview of the pencil hardness scale, which uses “B” (“black”) to indicate soft, darker lead, and “H” (“hard”) to indicate a harder, lighter lead, with higher numbers in either direction indicating increasing softness or hardness. The middle of the scale, “HB”, is used for the “No. 2” pencil, with “F” then “H” used for increasingly harder leads, followed by 2H, 3H, etc.. In the opposite direction from HB is “B”, followed by 2B, 3B, etc.
Students work together to sort the bin of drawing pencils into the correct order based on what they just learned. They are then encouraged to sample a range of different pencils to get familiar with the effects they can produce, applying them to the drawings started the previous day. Time was set aside for students to share their drawings with each other, and everyone was given the choice to welcome constructive feedback or not. Most chose to accept feedback, all of which was thoughtful and supportive.
Thursday, June 11
Class 1: For the first half of class, students continued working on their drawings from the previous day. In the second half of class, students were allowed to work on an art assignment for Humanities class: maps of their imaginary societies. For Class 2, students continued working on their drawings.
Friday, June 12
Students put finishing touches on their drawings, then passed them to their neighbor who was asked to reimagine the drawing in their own style. Students could change anything about the drawing, but had to use the same words their classmates used to create the original drawing. In the last half of class, students were given the option to sketch the antique upholstered chairs in the drawing alcove, valuable practice in drawing from direct observation– a much different experience from drawing solely from the imagination.
Mixed Ensemble (Brandon LaFleur, Instructor)
This week was primarily geared toward ensemble sound development, and getting acquainted with the course format. We worked on tuning, tone building, rhythm reading, and scale reading. Students were given ample time to prepare randomly assigned scales (assigned by rolling a dodecahedral die) then perform the scale as an ensemble.
M-F: Tone building, tuning, scales, rhythm reading and counting, ensemble sound development.
Dorm Life (Kathy Barrios, Coordinator of Housing)
This week was all about getting students acquainted to dorm life. We had meetings about rules and procedures for the Program. We also talked about the Government of the Governor’s Program. Students that wanted to run gave speeches and elections were held on Friday. We had many activities inside and outside the dorm this weekend: shopping trips to Albertsons and Dollar Tree, our weekly dance, and more!
Monday: Ms. Kathy led a meeting about our token economy.
Tuesday: Mr. Brown and Ms. Kathy led a meeting about the Government of the Governor’s Program, what offices can be held, and how to run for office. Students began getting others to nominate them for offices.
Wednesday: Students played a lot a ping pong and board games with each other at the dorm.
Thursday: We had government speeches where students got to plead their case for why the other students should vote for them.
Friday: Students received their bank for their weekly grades and voted for the Government positions. We took students to the local soccer fields to play soccer, and we watched the movie ParaNorman at movie night.
Saturday: Students were able to watch Gravity Falls and make Father’s Day cards in the lobby in the morning. We also had counselors available to teach students how to do their own laundry. We took students to Albertson’s after lunch where they could use their own money to buy snacks and other items; they also had the opportunity to use Albertson’s gift cards to get healthy foods and other non-contraband items. Students were able to play OverCooked in the lobby, go to the Splash Pad at Millennium Park, and do Trivia as well. We had chicken tacos for dinner (black bean tacos for our vegetarian students). We ended the night with out first dance of the summer!
Sunday: We gave students the opportunity to go to church if they wanted to. In the lobby, students were able to make their own bookmarks and watch a marathon of Ben10 episodes. After lunch, students were able to go to Dollar Tree, play Mario Kart, and play board games with the Markstroms (who teach Critical Thinking). Students were also able to play Guitar Hero and received Sundae Sunday, where we give students ice cream and some toppings for a fun cold treat (which is certainly welcome at this very hot time of year!). The counselors made spaghetti for dinner with the option of adding ground turkey (which was cooked separately from the sauce). We also had our first Big Room Check, which is where Ms. Kathy checks every room for cleanliness. The majority of students did really well!