How often does my child have art class?

Once a week for 40 minutes. Most students will attend art class 32 to 37 times during the year.

Where does the money come from to buy art supplies?

A little less than $3.00 per child comes to the art dept. from the student fee parents pay at the beginning of the year.

Is there ever homework or makeup work when my child has been absent?

There is never homework for art class, however I encourage students to draw and do other artwork at home for fun. Any artwork students do outside of art class can be displayed on my special Art Gallery bulletin board in the art room.

Because I teach over 900 students, it is not possible for them to come in during lunch recess or intervention to work on art projects, even if they were absent. The absence will not affect the student's grade.

Do you ever need volunteer parents in art?

Yes, please call or e-mail (moschellm@mason.k12.oh.us phone: 459-2850 EXT 70128) ahead of time, or if you're at school for another reason, just stop by and see if there's anything you can do. Because the art room has messy and possibly dangerous art materials (scissors, paint and such) I can't allow young children to accompany parents when they are volunteering.

What if my child isn't very artistic? What if my child hates art class?

There is not just one right way to make art; everyone's artwork is unique and reflects the creative choices of the artist. In the time we have together this year, there will be many chances for students to find out what they like to do: if they don't like to draw, then they may like making dot paintings, or papier mache pigs, or cutting out a paper dragon.

Think of the average four-year-old. He thinks drawing is great fun, he thinks he can draw absolutely anything, and he thinks his artwork is awesome. When children are about age 9 or 10, they frequently lose this joyful, carefree attitude. A typical fourth grader will erase a hole in her paper and become frustrated that anything she draws doesn't look "right." Her ability to imagine how it "should" look is beyond her ability to make it look that way. My challenge as an art teacher is to help each child discover his or her own special creativity. If it's not drawing, then maybe it's a knack of putting terrific colors together, or a keen sense of pattern and design, or a gift for expressing strong feelings or a sense of humor in artwork. Also, art is a skill; the more you do it, the better you will get.

I can't tell you how many times students have told me that they didn't like art in past years, but now they do. I play music during most classes, and art is seen as a welcome break from academics.

My child is very artistic. What should I do for him or her?

For the very imaginative or creative child, one art class a week is not enough. Some children do well if they are given art materials at home and a special place where they can make a mess. This doesn't have to be expensive. Just cutting up old junk mail and using the backs of papers parents bring home from the office can offer the young artist a lot of valuable experiences. Other children do well in an after school art class with other children and a teacher. Our after school enrichment classes have many artistic opportunities, and this web site has a page listing local art classes you may wish to explore.

Why doesn't my child ever seem to bring home art projects?

1. Last year your child may have made a different project in art each week and brought it home. In accordance with increased expectations for 4th grade, our projects take longer than one session to create (the pig project takes 9 weeks, Aborigine Dot Paintings take 5 weeks, Dragon collages 5 weeks).

2. Your child may stuff it in his/her locker and forget it's there, or may have thrown it away, despite my best efforts to esure projects are taken home.

How is artwork selected for the District Art Show?

Please refer to the web page "District Art Show."

What is the art class art gallery?

I use the front bulletin board to display artwork students made outside of art class, or artwork made by their siblings, parents, grandparents or other talented people who will allow me to keep the artwork. I receive too many artworks during the year to sort and return all of it.

Where do you get the ideas for the projects you do in art class?

The state of Ohio has Visual Art Standards and the Mason City Schools Art Curriculum which I follow when designing the fourth grade art program. People find it very surprising that I actually teach concepts and skills in art, not just break out the paint and tell the students to have fun. Of course, we have fun learning, too! You might want to refer to the page in this site about the Ohio Visual Arts Standards at www.ode.state.oh.us Click on Standards and Instruction, then choose Academic Content Standards.

What about grades?

In previous years, your child most likely received a Plus (+) in Art. Fourth grade is the first year when each project is graded, and only the outstanding students will receive a Plus (+). I reserve the Plus (+) grade for the few students who consistently show outstanding ability, attention to details, and above-average effort. If you look at your child's artwork and say, "Wow, I can't believe a fourth grader made this!" that's a Plus (+) student.

The "P" grade stands for "Progressing," and this is not a "bad" grade at all! It means your child's artwork is consistent with the ability of the average fourth grade student. He or she is doing just fine!

There is also a Minus (-) grade, but so far I have never given this grade to any of my students.

Students with special needs are graded taking into consideration their particular challenges, so please don't worry about the art grade. Feel free to contact me with any concerns you have.

I grade every art project your child creates and record it in my grade book by hand, then when Trimester grades are due, I enter the final grade into the computer. Missed projects due to absences are not counted against the student when determining the grade. You will not be able to electronically track your child's progress in art through Edline before Trimester grades are issued, but you will of course see the Trimester grades three times during the year.

I do not put the grade on the students' art projects, so students will not know what their grade will be until the Trimester grades are issued. I want to de-emphasize grades in art class, because a child's motivation is easily damaged if they feel they are "average" or less talented than other students. When they are older, they can and should develop a more objective view of their artwork.

If you have any questions or concerns about grades, please e-mail me at moschellm@mason.k12.oh.us or phone 459-2850 EXT 70128.