Parents

LOOK FOR THE SEESAW APP TO FIND ALL ART ASSIGNMENTS 

*EACH CLASS WILL HAVE ONE NEW ACTIVITY PER COLOR ROTATION.

*PLEASE CHECK THE SEESAW APP OR WEBSITE TO SEE YOUR CHILD’S ARTWORK.

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND A REAL-TIME UPDATE OF THEIR PROGRESS.

*GRADES ARE ENTERED INTO POWERSCHOOL AT THE END OF EACH QUARTER.

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Jeffrey C. Lefevre II. I am your child’s Visual Arts teacher at Gilles-Sweet Elementary. Here you will find important information, updates on what’s happening in the art room, digital portfolios, and links to many useful websites for you and your child to explore. Please feel free to EMAIL me with any questions, comments or concerns by clicking on the envelope on the top right of this blog.

BELOW ARE SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ART:

How can I tell if my child is making progress?

The State of Ohio Visual Arts Standards list these Progress Points for the following grade levels.

Grades K-2

• Recognize that people from various times and cultures create works of art to be looked at, valued and enjoyed.
• Explore a range of art concepts and artworks and construct meaning about the works.
• Connect making art with individual choice and understanding personal cultural identity.
• Produce artworks that express and represent their experiences, imagination and ideas using a range of media including new technologies.
• Form and express opinions about artworks and apply critical and creative thinking skills to assess and refine their artworks.

• Examine a range of artistic works to gain insight into the historical and cultural traditions of local and global communities.
• Identify and apply universal themes and processes to communicate meanings, moods and visual effects in personal and collaborative artworks.
• Demonstrate technical skill, craftsmanship and reasoning abilities in solving visual art problems using appropriate tools, media and technologies.
• Express personal responses to artistic works giving reasons for their interpretations and preferences.
• Provide and use feedback to improve and refine their artworks.

Here are some additional notes to consider when thinking about your child’s progress:

Children’s Development in Art

The Visual Arts Program at Gilles-Sweet Elementary builds upon student experiences in school according to their typical patterns of growth- emotional, intellectual, perceptual, physical and social. It is important for both educators and parents to understand some the special characteristics of children’s development in art so that expectations for learning are appropriate and challenging.

Variations in Skills

Within any group of students you are likely to find a range of skills. Teachers also find different levels of interest and skills in creating different styles or artworks or using different types of media.

Children differ in their rates and levels of development in each area of art. For this reason, it is always essential to offer guidance for small groups and individual students, and to supplement instructions given to the entire class. Individual ideas and ways of working are encouraged.

In general, children’s ability to perceive and appreciate various kinds of art is more advanced than their ability to create art. Even so, variations in children’s responses to artwork should be expected and in most cases encouraged. Unlike many other subjects, questions about art often have more than one appropriate answer. You can help by encouraging thoughtful, personal responses to works of art.

Displaying the Artwork

Displaying artwork should be treated as part of the process  learning about art. The artwork displayed should include the entire class and to emphasize what the students are learning about and what art concepts and skills were involved in the process. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a school-wide art show and invite parents and friends. It is also important to display student artwork at home so students can reflect upon their artwork and share their thoughts and feelings with family and friends.

The Question of Talent

Talent plays a role in the development of interest and skills in art, just as it does in any other subject. During the elementary years it is essential to recognize varieties of accomplishment and evidence of growth in understanding. Student art should not be compared in a manner that discourages further interest. The Gilles-Sweet Elementary art program always respects each student’s unique artwork and insights about art.