Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2019)
Wednesday, April 17, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 23 Expo Night a hit at middle school By Helen Schmidling Correspondent Last Thursday was Expo Night at Sisters Middle School. The commons and surrounding classrooms were awash in color, music, inven- tion, and creation. The audi- ence was students, parents, volunteers, and interested friends. The collaboration was off the charts. Involving many disciplines, the event attracted more than 100 visitors, at least doubling last year9s attendance. A bright sign welcomed all. <Don9t just walk through & stop and wonder about what you9re seeing. Ask some ques- tions. What do you like? What surprises you? What do you want to know more about?= Judy Fuentes, art teacher at the middle school, encour- aged all disciplines 3 not just art 3 to be part of the Expo. In a world where STEM and STEAM (standing for sci- ence, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) are the keys to a well-rounded educa- tion program, it was important for technology instructor Wes Estvold to set up an entire room with iPads mounted on stands where kids and parents worked together to make stop- action animation sequences. Seeing their work on screen rewarded both individual and small-group efforts. At this age, some stu- dents can be quite shy around adults and visitors. So it was also important for students to interact with those who came to explore. Seventh- and eighth-graders welcomed visi- tors to <Fortune9s Hallow,= an interactive art installation with three-dimensional trees, a waterfall, lighting effects, music, a fortune wall guarded by a <Protectress= and a three- dimensional paper dragon. The point was to venture into the <unknown,= where you may be rewarded with joy and good fortune. Sisters High School Americana Program students provided music during the first part of the event, before the Middle School Strings Program took the stage. Under the direction of Taylor Rheault, violin and cello students per- formed, most for the very first time in front of a large audi- ence. Rheault, whose <day job= is managing the Sisters Coffee Company, took the reins as strings instructor two years ago, working most after- noons with nearly 20 students in this program. This little concert was added to the Expo when the original perfor- mance date was snowed out. One of the most popular stations was called <U Create 3 Abstract Art.= Kids created an inviting sign: <Anyone can make art, right? Maybe you9re an artist, or maybe you have never painted. Or maybe you did, long ago & blah, blah. Did you know (art) is good for you? Being creative grows your brain, relaxes your body, and is good for your soul! So here is a game for you to play! (no emojis).= The goal was to make a mural on a huge canvas, spread across sev- eral tables. Artists were given brushes, colorful paint, and cues, based on a roll of dice. By the end of the evening, the canvas was covered in abstract shapes and positive words. Fifth-graders explored landforms, with two tables full of three-dimensional models demonstrating their compre- hension of volcanoes, water- falls, geysers, mountains, lakes, deserts, rivers, canyons, and the sea. Creative choices of materials included machine parts and candy, in addition to the standard cardboard and paper maché. Sixth-graders created land- scapes, using one resource to develop another, such as look- ing at a photograph of a tree to draw the tree and interpret color and texture. Renderings were developed step by step, first with pencil gradations, then moving on to color in any medium, concentrating on blending and creating new colors. After studying hiero- glyphics and pictographs, they also made their own, and glyph banners decorated the columns in the commons. <Juxtaposition,= a wall of words, invited participants to mix metaphors and create images by combining words in ways that would enable others to see an image on the wall. <Juxtaposing words is a poetic art form,= the sign advised. A few feet away, students made a wall of art history that PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK Students explored their creativity at last Thursday’s “Expo Night” at SMS. depicted Vincent Van Gogh9s bedroom. Van Gogh famously painted his own modest bed- room, and the students cre- ated a life-sized model com- plete with painted chair and Vincent9s jacket hanging on the back. Participants were invited to take their photo while sitting in the chair. <In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, includ- ing around 860 oil paintings, most of them in the last two years of his life,= the sign said. A refreshment station kept everyone going with donated cupcakes, cookies, brownies, lemonade, coffee and tea. No wall, table, or win- dow surface was left blank. Wherever you looked, there were art pieces, including small paintings on canvas, big banners, and tons of positive reinforcement. Full STEAM ahead, these projects show how students learn to collaborate, discuss and critique. <Students who appear to be casual are work- ing hard 3 thinking visually, analytically, critically, and cre- atively,= Fuentes said. Much of the artwork remains on display in the Sisters Middle School com- mons as a positive reminder to students, faculty and par- ents. Some of it will make its way to the Sisters Library next month for the annual Student Art Exhibit. Several pieces won awards in the annual statewide Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. And, as art- ist-in-residence Gary Hirsch prompted parents during the week, <Save your kids9 art- work. It matters.= Carpet • Upholstery • Tile Grout • Area Rug• Hardwood Granite & Tile Polishing g Look for us on the Web at BendCarpetCare.com Thank you for your business! Serving Sisters Since 1976 Hair, Skin & Nails Brow Wax Only $18 541-549-6566 484 W. Washington Ave., Ste. B g on n i o g t e g Need to ects? We’ve oj spring pr ing you need! th FREE got every Local Delivery Lumber • Hardware • Paint Fencing & Decking • Doors & Windows ows Hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 8 to 4:30, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net When life changes, you still want a place that feels like home! We help create special moments for residents and their families. Each day we learn how we can continue to meet or exceed their expectations for the care we provide in a smaller, intimate setting. H’ H A’ H 115 NW Greenwood, Redmond 541-588-6119 192 E. Tall Fir Ct., Sisters 541-549-1726 P’ P LOCAL FOR 24 YEARS! Licensed, Bonded & Insured 541-549-1175 541-815-1208 Th e Episcopal Church of the Transfi guration H W S Maundy Th ursday, April 18 7 p.m. Good Friday, April 19 11:30 a.m. – Stations of the Cross Noon – Good Friday Service 6:30 p.m. – Stations of the Cross 7 p.m. – Good Friday Service E S, A ÷ö 8:30 a.m. Ecumenical Celebration of Easter 10:15 a.m. Episcopal Easter Celebration 182 E. Tall Fir Ct., Sisters | 541-549-1336 D T | O/O Business Cell 541-848-3194 68825 Brooks Camp Rd., off of Hwy. 242, in Sisters 541-549-7087 • episcopalsisters.com