Artist Statements

A new tab has been added to the website titled Artist Statements. Artist Statements are the reflections that students will be writing at the end of each project. I've included some information about why students are expected to write in Art as well as a link (at the bottom of the page) that provides information on what each section needs in order to receive full credit. I have also included a link to a digital Artist Statement in the case that a student misplaces their copy needed for homework or if they would rather type their responses.

Samples of strong Artist Statements will be uploaded shortly!

It's Not Too Late!!

SQUARE 1 ART ORDERS DUE TODAY!!

I repeat, Square 1 Art orders are due today!

To make sure you are able to order beautiful keepsakes, visit www.square1art.com/shop, enter your access code, and make your purchases online!

Orders will arrive in early December.

Conference Week Schedule

Due to conference week, the school schedule is modified quite a bit. The schedule starts this Friday, November 20, when students are dismissed 3.5 hours early. On this day, 6th grade and 7/8(2) will not attend Art. On Monday, November 23 students come to school 4 hours late, and 7/8(1) will attend Art. Tuesday, November 24 is another 3.5 hour early dismissal, and 5(1) and 7/8(2) will not attend Art. The next three days (November 25-27) students are off of school for Thanksgiving Break!

All homework assigned this week will be due the week of November 30.

Homework Announcement

As Term II begins, I am changing the format of Art homework, which I think will be beneficial to all students. Homework will still be posted online, but every student will also receive a printed copy in class. With this being said, the homework is always online, so if you miss a class where homework is distributed, there is no reason for the assignment to not be turned in completed the following week. Each student will only receive one copy of the homework and if it is misplaced, they must access the website to find the assignment.

The reason for homework only being accessible online was for a couple reasons:
1) A digital copy of homework allows for you to access the document from any location. If you left the assignment at school, you would still be able to find the information from home since it is on the website.
2) I dream of a world where paper isn't wasted. When information can be given in a format other than paper, like an online Google Doc, I believe it should be. Paper should be left for art making! :)

I understand that a digital classroom is not something that had been practiced at FCCS until my classroom this year. I would love to be able to work up to only assigning digital homework, but I've seen many flaws in this during Term I. Hey, we gave it a good try! I just think everyone would benefit from handouts from now and using the digital copy as an aid, not something to rely on.

SQUARE 1 ART SQUICKERS HAVE ARRIVED!

Students will be receiving their Square 1 Art Squickers either this afternoon or tomorrow morning during homeroom. We are creating a S1A mural to showcase all of the beautiful artwork FCCS' students have created, so Ms. Beverage and I are asking that students donate one Squicker to the mural.

On each Squicker sheet is an Access Code to order online at square1art.com. The great thing about ordering is online is that you can look at the products with YOUR artwork on it! Please be sure to place all orders online. The deadline for orders is Monday, November 16th.

Virtual Art Show

Virtual Art Shows are being updated now that the first few art projects are coming to a close. So far 5th grade and 7th/8th grade artwork can be seen on each slideshow. Not every student's artwork will be showcased for each project; however, everyone's artwork will make it in the slideshow at least once.

You can always see images of works in progress by searching the hashtag #FCCSArt on Instagram and Twitter!

Enjoy the artwork. :)

Happy Trunk-Or-Treat :)

 Ms. Beverage and I dressed up as The Elements of Art to celebrate Trunk or Treat at FCCS! Students were very surprised when they saw our costumes. We had a lot of fun making out shirts, and I'm definitely going to wear this outfit when I teach students about the Elements of Art in the future! :)

Art Contests

I am creating a new tab on my blog titled Art Contests. I believe that it is so important for young artists to create art outside of the classroom and FCPS gives us many opportunity to do so through the contest and art shows it makes available.

All contest information and guidelines will be posted under the Art Contests tab for you to peruse. Let me know if you are interested in participating in any of the contests!

End of Term & Updates

October 29th marks the end of the first term. This is a reminder for students who are still missing their signed syllabus, Elements and Principles graphic organizer, and the Ox-Plow book that they have until this coming Thursday, October 29th to turn these assignments.

Fifth grade students are finishing up their Cuneiform Tablets and are moving on to the Chicken Sarcophagi, which they are making in conjunction with their mummified chickens in History with Mr. Kenny. The fifth grade projects have been much smaller than the 6th-8th grade projects, which is why they have been able to complete  more within the term.

Sixth grade has been working on Islamic RE-Designs for the last few weeks and will continue this project into Term II. Students looked at traditional Islamic patterns and put together rough draft drawings incorporating the Islamic patterns, including geometric, plant-like, and rope designs. This project is intricate because it is mixed media, meaning students will be coloring with colored pencils, markers and finally painting with acrylic paint.

Seventh and eighth grade artists have been looking at Impressionist artist Claude Monet in the first unit in Modern Art. They, too, spent time working on a rough draft practicing drawing landscapes and recreating the Impressionistic technique with oil pastels to simulate oil paint. The focus is to practice short, overlapping strokes of color with an emphasis on light. Students have chosen a wide array of landscape reference photos, so each one is quite unique!

Square 1 Art

This week students will be bringing home a Square 1 Art paper to work on for homework. If you are unfamiliar with it, Square 1 Art is an art fundraiser that helps raise money for the art room! Students will use the paper provided to draw a picture of their choice. The paper will be collected (and graded as homework) and then sent out to the Square 1 Art company who will then be able to turn the artwork into keepsakes. Later in the term students will bring home information on purchasing keepsakes, like phone cases, decorative pillows and flags, and coffee mugs, and part of the proceeds go toward the FCCS art department so we can buy new art supplies!

These keepsakes make GREAT holiday gifts since the keepsakes will be in for pickup in December. Artwork suggestions include:

• A holiday theme
• Winter theme
• Self portrait
• Family pet/favorite animal

The company suggests that students use vibrant art mediums, like markers or acrylic paint, because they will print well. Colored pencils or crayons may be used as well, but they must be used with enough pressure to keep the color dark and completely full. Vibrant colors show up best when printed, so black and white or pencil drawings are discouraged.

It is imperative that this homework assignment is turned in on the day it is due. All orders must be submitted prior to Monday, October 19th -- this is the day that the artwork will be mailed to the Square 1 Art company.

Due dates are as follows:

6 & 7/8(1) - Monday, October 12

5(1) & 7/8(2) - Tuesday, October 13

5(2) - Thursday, October 15




More information and examples of keepsakes can be found at https://www.square1art.com/.

Please contact me ASAP if anyone is struggling with coming up with an idea for their artwork. Students are only given one S1A paper, so it is suggested that students practice sketching their image on scrap paper or their sketchbooks before they draw on the final paper.


Click the LINK to access the homework instructions.

A Full Week of School!!

FCCS is finally in session for a full week! It has been a long time since I have been able to see all of my classes every time they are scheduled. Since our schedule has been a little crazy, we have not been able to dive into our next projects, but they will finally start this week!

Information on each project can be found under the class tabs. The tabs have two sections of content: on top will be the homework assignments and the bottom part of the page has links to what we are working on (i.e., examples, objectives, slideshows, web links).

Homework reminder: All homework is assigned on the first day students attend class each week. Students will have a full week to complete the homework and it is due, with no exceptions, on the first day they attend class the following week. Since students are given 7 full days to complete an assignment, there is no reason why it should not be completed and turned in on time. Parents, please help your children to remember to put their homework in their backpack the night before it is due. Students will receive zero credit for late homework.

I can't wait to see all of my students this week! Happy Monday!!

Where Can You Find Homework?

Hello!! I am finally updating my blog with a new post about homework. I have been adding to the site, but have not been able to post anything because I told students I would leave the Graphic Organizer and Ox-Plow directions available at the top of the page. If you are still looking for that post, it is the one below this. Just make sure you click on Read more >> in order to view the slideshow and video!

This website is a work in progress. I am learning all about Blogger's features, so I am trying to make my page as user friendly as possible (for both you and I).

Homework can be found by clicking on the tab with your students' grade on it.
If your student is in 6th grade, simply click on the 6 Art tab at the top of the page and it will bring you to the page with the assignments. 

Elements and Principles Ox-Plow Study Guide & Graphic Organizer

HOMEWORK for 5, 6, & 7/8 (Week 2)

**Homework and quiz dates have been altered. Please review the list below.**

5A: Using the slideshow below, complete both sides of the Elements and Principles graphic organizer. Do not finish the Ox-Plow book - we will do it in class next week!  (assigned 9/1, due 9/8) QUIZ ON TUESDAY 9/15
5B: Using the slideshow below, complete both sides of the Elements and Principles graphic organizer. (assigned 9/3, due 9/10) QUIZ ON THURSDAY 9/17
6: Use the slideshow at the bottom of this post to fill out the Elements of Art & Principles of Design Study Guide graphic organizer. (assigned 9/2, due 9/4) QUIZ ON FRIDAY 9/11.
7/8(1): Use the slideshow at the bottom of this post to fill out the Elements of Art & Principles of Design Study Guide graphic organizer. Complete the Elements & Principles Ox-Plow Book using the resources below. (assigned 9/2, due 9/9) QUIZ ON WEDNESDAY 9/9
7/8(2): Use the slideshow at the bottom of this post to fill out the Elements of Art & Principles of Design Study Guide graphic organizer. (assigned 9/1, due 9/4) QUIZ ON FRIDAY 9/11

Directions for Elements of Art and Principles of Design Study Guide Graphic Organizer

Use the slideshow and Prezi at the bottom of this post to find information on the Elements and Principles!
1) On the front side of the paper, write the name of each one of the 7 Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Texture, Value, Form, Color, and Space) in one of the 7 boxes on the left.
2) Write a definition for each one of the Elements in the same left box.
3) Draw or write an example in the right column that will help to explain the Element of Art.
4) On the back side of the paper, write the name of each one of the 10 Principles of Design (Balance, Contrast, Emphasis, Movement, Pattern, Rhythm, Unity, Variety, Proportion, and Harmony).
5) Write a definition for each one of the Principles in the same left box.
6) Draw or write an example in the right column that will help to explain each Principle of Design.

First Day of School

The school year started off great yesterday! I was thrilled to meet two of my classes yesterday and look forward to meeting the other three within the next few days. 

I just wanted to share that the 5-8 Art syllabus will be sent home next week. I will also make an electronic copy available on my blog. This week will be about showing what students remember from previous years of art and getting to know one another. Next week we will begin reviewing rules and expectations and starting on our first project!

Follow Me on Social Media!

Hello Students & Families!

I am inviting everyone to follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @MsStrasserArt. I am a huge advocate of using Social Media to promote art and also allow family members to digitally look into the art room. I often post pictures of student artwork and classroom activities, as well as links to great art education resources and information for students, such as art techniques and further information about the art and artists we are studying in class. I may not post pictures of artwork on my blog every day, so to stay up to date on what students are working on in class, follow me!

For those of you who are not on Twitter, don't feel obligated to sign up for an account; my feed shows up on the homepage of my blog and can be viewed from there.

I look forward to seeing new art lovers following me on Twitter and Instagram!

Ms. Strasser

A Letter From Ms. Strasser

Dear Parents & Students,

My name is Kacy Strasser and I am thrilled to be teaching the middle school students at Frederick Classical Charter School. I grew up in Frederick County, moving from Howard County in 2000 and attended schools within the Governor Thomas Johnson feeder pattern. I loved Frederick so much that I stayed in town and attended Hood College for the last four years to earn my BA in Art & Archaeology with a concentration in Art Education.

I am a huge supporter of the arts in school. I debuted in my one and only on-stage role in Bye Bye Birdie in the 6th grade at Governor Thomas Johnson Middle, but in high school joined the Governor Thomas Johnson Marching Band as a member of the color guard for two indoor and one outdoor season. While in college I served as a color guard instructor for the Oakdale/TJ Junior Guard and Catoctin High School Pep Band color guard. I appreciate the musical arts just as much as performing. I took piano lessons for four years through elementary and middle school. Even though I spent quite a lot of time performing, the visual arts have always been my passion. As a small child, I would put together homemade picture books of various drawings spanning from family portraits to drawings of favorite foods and toys I enjoyed. I am proud to say that my artwork was featured in the FCPS Youth Art Month exhibition at the Delaplaine on three separate occasions, but it was not until my Junior year of college that I decided to enter my artwork into juried exhibitions around Frederick. I first submitted a drawing into the art show at the Great Frederick Fair in 2013 and placed first in my category and won a Best in Show. As an artist, it is always exciting to see your artwork on display. I strive to encourage all of my students to proudly display their artwork for others to see, whether it is on a social media platform or hanging in a gallery.

My education at Hood College has prepared me extremely well in becoming an efficient teacher for your students. Middle School students are my preferred age group; I enjoy their enthusiasm about art and think my content is highly beneficial to their everyday lives. Most recently, I was a student teacher at Windsor Knolls Middle School, where I was deeply involved in the classroom. I planned lessons for five classes (two 6th, two 7th, and one 8th grade group) and created homework and classroom assignments. I kept a blog retelling the activities with the students and my accomplishments and reflections as a student teacher, which can be accessed at KStrasserArtEduc2015.blogspot.com if anyone is interested in reading about my previous endeavors. At WKMS I was involved in the Yearbook Committee, Art Club, and the drama program where I spent afternoons and evenings painting backdrops and props for their production of Annie, Jr.

Working in the community is very important to me. I was a Girl Scout for 11 years and returned as an Assistant Troop leader for a year. As a Girl Scout, I completed my Bronze Award (collecting school supplies for students in Foster Care), my Silver Award (sewing and filling purses for teen girls of Big Brothers Big Sisters), and the Silver Trefoil Award. My troop was very active within the community, setting up events for younger scouts and participating in various community service events. My fondest memories of being a Girl Scout are of attending the Oak Ridge Crossing day camps initially as a Program Aide, where I was responsible in aiding adult volunteers run the arts & crafts or games stations, and then later as an adult volunteer, where I was leading groups of teen girls as they completed service requirements for a badge.

I entered college under the impression that I was going to earn a degree in Art History and go on to work as a museum curator or conservator. After speaking with people in those professions, I realized that was not the career pathway destined for me. Stumped and discouraged because I was not sure what I wanted to do with my future, family and friends planted the idea that I look into education. I had not considered it before, but I had always held leadership positions throughout my years as a Girl Scout and color guard instructor. "Why should I not be an art teacher?" I thought. I had always enjoyed working with younger students and I would always share my love of art with anyone who would listen. Thus, a degree in Art Education is what I sought, and I am so pleased that I did because I loved every minute of my education from Hood College and the internships that I partook in.

I am so very excited to be spending my first year teaching here at FCCS. I look forward to working with you and your students to help them develop their artistic skills and learn about the importance of art and how beneficial it is in our everyday lives.

Thank you,

Ms. Strasser