my last project last year was for students to consider the phrase "Earth without ART is just "Eh"! had some neat concepts come out but almost everyone forgot to take pictures!!! Never AGAIN. Thank You Marqueese, you will be putting yours up on the Art Room Door this year.

Welcome to a Brand New Year

August 16, 2012

Dear Parents and Students Herein is the Syllabus for High School Art (Visual Arts)

Discovering Who We Are

The arts have been part of us from the very beginning. Since nomadic peoples first sang and danced for their ancestors, since hunters first painted their quarry on the walls of caves, since parents first acted out the stories of heroes for their children, the arts have described, defined, and deepened human experience. All peoples, everywhere, have an abiding need for meaning—to connect time and space, experience and event, body and spirit, intellect and emotion. People create art to make these connections, to express the otherwise inexpressible. A society and a people without the arts are unimaginable, as breath- ing would be without air. Such a society and people could not long survive.

The arts are one of humanity’s deepest rivers of continuity. They connect each new generation to those who have gone before, equipping the newcomers in their own pursuit of the abiding questions: Who am I? What must I do? Where am I going? At the same time, the arts are often an impetus for change, challenging old perspectives from fresh angles of vision, or offering original interpretations of familiar ideas. The arts disciplines provide their own ways of thinking, habits of mind as rich and different from each other as botany is different from philosophy. At another level, the arts are society’s gift to itself, linking hope to memory, inspiring courage, enriching our celebrations, and making our tragedies bearable. The arts are also a unique source of enjoyment and delight, providing the “Aha!” of discovery when we see ourselves in a new way, grasp a deeper insight, or find our imaginations refreshed. The arts have been a preoccupation of every generation precisely because they bring us face to face with ourselves, and with what we sense lies beyond ourselves.

The arts are deeply embedded in our daily life, often so deeply or subtly that we are unaware of their presence. The office manager who has never studied painting, nor visited an art museum, may nevertheless select a living-room picture with great care. The mother who never performed in a choir still sings her infant to sleep. The teenager who is a stranger to drama is moved by a Saturday night film. A couple who would never think of taking in a ballet are nonetheless avid square dancers. The arts are every- where in our lives, adding depth and dimension to the environment we live in, shaping our experience daily. The arts are a powerful economic force as well, from fashion, to the creativity and design that go into every manufactured product, to architecture, to the performance and entertainment arts that have grown into multibillion dollar industries. We could not live without the arts—nor would we want to.

For all these reasons and a thousand more, the arts have been an inseparable part of the human journey; indeed, we depend on the arts to carry us toward the fullness of our humanity. We value them for themselves, and because we do, we believe knowing and practicing them is fundamental to the healthy development of our children’s minds and spirits. That is why, in any civilization—ours included—the arts are inseparable from the very meaning of the term “education.” We know from long experience that no one can claim to be truly educated who lacks basic knowledge and skills in the arts.

If our civilization is to continue to be both dynamic and nurturing, its success will ultimately depend on how well we develop the capacities of our children, not only to earn a living in a vastly complex world, but to live a life rich in meaning. Standards identify what our children must know and be able to do. Thus, the vision embedded in the Art  Standards my classes are built around insists that a mere nodding acquaintance with the arts is not enough to sustain our children’s interest or involvement in them. The Standards must usher each new generation onto the pathway of engagement, which opens in turn onto a lifetime of learning and growth through the arts. It is along this pathway that our children will find their personal directions and make their singular contributions. It is along this pathway, as well, that they will discover who they are, and even more, who they can become.

Classroom Requirements

All classes cost money to operate, especially ART. almost everything we make is a consumable the district charges $10.00 per semester for Art classes to help provide materials, since crafts cost more the fee for Craft Class is $15.00 per semester, this money is what buys the paper, pencils and paints and materials that are used in the classes so there is no class list of things for you to buy - you already have!

Classroom Rules

I am looking forward to teaching Art again in the coming year. In order to guarantee your child and all the students in my classes the best learning environment. No disruptive behavior wii be tolerated, remember Respect is the desired attitude Students will

• Respect each other, by following the class and school rules, and by allowing each other to learn in a positive environment;

• Respect the school and its property;
• Respect the equipment and tools and follow all safety rules;
• Respect the teachers and administration.

Because art classes utilize certain products or use equipment that could be dangerous it is important for students to follow the classroom rules. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

Be on time be ready to work and stay on task

You make a mess clean it up

What goes into your grade:

•All art classes will include the creation of a sketchbook and portfolio to store 2-D work in

•exams & quizzes will be 5% of the grade

•Attendance is 25% of the grade;

•Sketchbooks are 20% of the grade

•Projects will be 50% of the grade

•all students will compete a semester project which will help me determine differences between A-, or A, or A+ (for example

Grading will be based on the following scale:

90-100=A [advanced]

80-89=B [Proficient]

70-79=C[ Nearing proficiency]

60-69=D [Novice]

0-59=failing

Sincerely yours,

Bruce Morrison