Art
Amy Rosenstrauch

1st Grade
Art classes emphasize good drawing technique, learning about the elements of art and using the principles of art, practicing shading and using values to emphasize realism, gaining a sense of art history and aesthetics. Art classes also participate in Square 1 Art fundraiser.

First Graders are budding artists. In first grade they learn how to properly handle art materials and navigate around the art room. We usually begin the year with Judaic projects related to Rosh Hashana and Sukkot after which we focus on printing techniques. Some of our many printing techniques are leaf prints, bubble prints, pressure transfer prints, object printing and foam printing. Included in first grade are craft projects for Chanukkah and Purim. Time is also spent on drawing tress, winter landscapes and pictures of “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak. Weavings, rubbings, Model Magic masks and learning about Picasso rounds out first grade art.

2nd Grade
Art classes emphasize good drawing technique, learning about the elements of art and using the principles of art, practicing shading and using values to emphasize realism, gaining a sense of art history and aesthetics. Art classes also participate in Square 1 Art fundraiser.

Second Grade works their imagination muscles during art class. At this level the students learn about creating landscapes. They use crayon resist techniques to create landscapes in the style of folk artists Henri Rousseau and Grandma Moses. The students continue to learn how to create three dimensions on a two dimensional piece of paper. With themes like the Plains Indians, machines, castles, tree houses, under water and dinosaurs the second grades work hard drawing from their imaginations. In second grade we also make decorations for the Sukkot, Thanksgiving and Chanukkah.

3rd Grade
Art classes emphasize good drawing technique, learning about the elements of art and using the principles of art, practicing shading and using values to emphasize realism, gaining a sense of art history and aesthetics. Art classes also participate in Square 1 Art fundraiser.

Third Graders kick the year off with pastel pictures of Georgia O’Keeffes’ large flower paintings. The students learn about abstract art and keep a sketchbook journal. Students use their sketchbooks for ten minutes of observational drawing at the beginning of each art class. Third graders learn about the Impressionist painting when they study Monet and Post-Impressionism when they study Vincent Van Gogh. To round out our study of abstract art they students create childlike fantasy drawings like Jan Miro, grid pictures like Paul Klee, cut and paste cut outs like Henri Matisse and create cubistic portraits in the style of Picasso. Judaic projects include mask making for Purim and creating matzah boxes and matzah covers for Pesach.

4th Grade
Art classes emphasize good drawing technique, learning about the elements of art and using the principles of art, practicing shading and using values to emphasize realism, gaining a sense of art history and aesthetics. Art classes also participate in Square 1 Art fundraiser.

Fourth grade begin the year learning about proper body proportion. To do this each student draws by observing a jointed wooden manikin. These lessons culminate with a study of Edgar Degas and a pastel drawing of dancers. Proper facial proportions are learned and students do self-portrait drawings by looking in a mirror. In fourth grade the students have their first experience with ceramics. They make and glaze their own kiddish cups for Passover out of lowfire clay. Another project for Pesach is creating a seder plate. Many lessons related to Native Americans are done in fourth grade. Stop action animation is also a big part of fourth grade art.

5th Grade
Art classes emphasize good drawing technique, learning about the elements of art and using the principles of art, practicing shading and using values to emphasize realism, gaining a sense of art history and aesthetics. Art classes also participate in Square 1 Art fundraiser.

A big part of fifth grade art lessons is devoted to color theory and painting. Students learn about and mix colors to create a twelve-color color wheel. Lesson on color progress from using tints and shades to create a monochromatic painting, using primary colors the way Piet Mondrian did, using complimentary colors they way Sonia Delaunay did and learning about mixing browns when we study George Rouault and finally painting with analogus colors. From here we segue into painting like Pointillists (Georges Seurat), Fauves (Franz Marc), Expressionism (Wassily Kandinsky) and Surrealism (Salvador Dali).

Middle School
Art classes emphasize good drawing technique, learning about the elements of art and using the principles of art, practicing shading and using values to emphasize realism, gaining a sense of art history and aesthetics. Art classes also participate in Square 1 Art fundraiser. Seventh and eighth graders participate in OVA (Olympics of the Visual Arts) which is a state wide art competition held in Saratoga, N.Y.

Middle school art is a time to learn about art and ancient cultures i.e Cave Painting, Aboriginal bark painting and x-ray painting, Egyptian tomb painting, Greek vase painting and Roman mosaics, Medieval gargoyles, Gothic rose windows and Renaissance linear perspective. Judaic art lessons consist of wood burning challah trays and silk painting challah covers. Pop Art (Andy Warhol) and Op Art (Bridget Rilley) movements are studied with linoleum prints and drawing. Middle schoolers add to the beauty of the school’s hallways with a final project which is a group mural.