Bowls Begin for the Harvest Festival- RES

At the end of October is the annual Harvest Festival to raise money for the RES Farm-to-School program. This year it will be held on October 25, at Monitor Barn.

Monitor Barn

 The 4th grade artists are continuing the tradition of making ceramic bowls for soup to be donated to the festival. Attendees can purchase a bowl of soup, select the bowl in which it is served, and can keep the bowl.
This week students are glazing the first of their two bowls using radial symmetry, and planned their designs first in pencil.

Students thought about these like pizzas, dividing their bowls into "slices."

It's easy to erase pencil on ceramic to make changes as needed.

After they were finished drawing, they began to glaze.

The glazes look very different once fired.

 It is amazing how the colors change in the kiln- the most surprising to the students is how the glaze that appears pink will turn blue during firing.

Two layers of glaze are recommended for the truest colors.

All bowls use food-safe glazes and are clearcoated before firing.

The pottery will be safe for the microwave and dishwasher. 

In Art class, I let students talk while they are working.  Some art teachers I have met ask for silent classrooms, but I feel that navigating social conversation is an important skill and allow students the space to practice that in art class. Consequently, conversations are often surprising and delightful. 

A few overheard gems from this morning's fourth grade class:

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Sample 1-

Student A (boy) to Student B: You know, it just occurred to me to wonder, why are we talking to a girl?

Student B (boy): I don't know.

Me: Why wouldn't you?!

Student A: Because girls are gross.

Student C (the girl): No way, boys are gross. They pick their noses.

Student A: Actually, my mom picks her nose.  But she doesn't eat it.

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Sample 2-
Student A: I have a cat named Raven.

Student B: Raisin?

Student A: No, Raven. R-A-V-E-N.

Student B: Oh, because I thought you said Raisin.  I hate raisins.  I never eat them. They are all wrinkly and gross, and it would be like eating little old people.

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Just a day in the life.