The Coat of Many Strengths

I've spent the past several days sewing--something I'm not particularly adept at. Marj Watkins helped me to create a pattern for the "Coat of many strengths" I'm doing with Mrs. Conklin's third grade class. Scroll down a bit to see what we are doing and get a preview of what the kids came up with for strengths.

End of an Era

We took down the play structure so many children played on when Suzanna's School was open. It's the end of an era. I will not open the preschool/kindergarten here again. The class room is now my studio, and I am painting on silk.

I'm not through teaching, though. I'm not quite sure what may teaching will look like. At present, I'm working occasionally with children in other schools. I would like to teach at art museums, and maybe after school programs at the Y. I want to do artist in residences, and art activities with children that support their learning in academic and social areas.

Hundred Family Coat--third grade style

This week Mrs. Conklin's thrid grade class made patches for a "hundred family coat" to offer at the PTSA auction. A Chinese story tells of Boachu, who went to find the missing sun. The people of one village wanted to help him, but they were very poor. Each person cut off a piece of their clothing and from all these pieces, they made a warm coat for Boachu. The coat kept him warm when the demons tried to freeze him.

We talked about the patches of the coat as symbols of each person's strength. We brainstormed our own strenghts, and each child drew something that symbolized their strength on a piece of silk. My job now is to sew them all together into a "hundred family coat" of our own.

Here is a sample of some of the patches: Rhiannon loves music, Lauren is a writer who looks for "just the right word". Jake loves speed; he is showing flames on his dirt bike. John feels "tough". Talia loves her sister, who loves snakes. Mason is pure energy!