“I would like to recapture that freshness of vision which is characteristic of extreme youth, when all the world is new to it.” ~ Henri Matisse
Dear Families and Friends,
There was no doubt about it. Kids were delighted to be back in school today. Good energy abounded – so much so, that fourth graders stretched their imaginations to think “big” and zeroed in on the fine detail of writing – and with marked precision.
After listening to the poetry of Ed Young, students dug into their portfolios to retrieve their original watercolor papers. Their goal was to identify the “mood” and to write about it. Briefly. Choosing just a few words.
Once again artists asked kids to imagine an element of nature that inspired them. Many chose water or the sun, and others contrasted the sun and the moon. Applying a monoprinting technique, children transferred language from their journals onto tracing paper. Then turning the paper over so that the letters appeared in reverse, they positioned their page on an inked Plexiglas plate. After applying pressure and a steady hand, they pulled the prints from the glass, revealing something marvelous.
We were impressed with how the group responded to a complex process. It required synthetic thinking and a focus on the Big Idea. It involved inference – moving from a familiar concept to something new. It was about communicating – through two different mediums. Pushing the outside of the envelope, fourth graders moved from the concrete to the abstract – and back again.
One of the teachers commented at morning’s end, “This kind of artwork puts everyone on a level playing field, and everyone can shine.” And that they did.
In awe of what each one had to say,
Nancy for the LEAPS’ Team
LEAPS of IMAGINATION 
