Dear Parents,

I'm looking forward to being with your children this year.

The changes in the art program for this year have all been made primarily to strengthen our focus on the life of Christ in us and around us. This year, art will foster better understanding of the media, “hook into” other curricular areas to be more meaningful to your child, and enhance your child's individuality, identity in Christ, and aesthetic sense. We will pay particular attention to working together and a stonger, spiraling curriculum in art history and media literacy.

Art is a record of our culture and of other civilizations, a history of God's creation as it evolves. Art is essential; it touches us all, even more today, in our visual society. It is important that our children understand its impact.

Art is a language used by children and adults to communicate. Your art program will help your child become more expressive, creative, confident, perceptive of God's creation, more reverent and appreciative of others, more knowledgeable of art and this visual language, thus capable of evaluating work of other artists.

Art helps finish God's work in the world and in your child.

Although I see value in both craft and art, most of our activities are not product oriented but child directed to increase self-expression, creativity, confidence, and tolerance of differences. In this environment of experimental work, the chance for disappointment is present, but we gain much from these instances if we see them as just another chance to be creative. Thus, "failure" turns into success, even in a large variety of media.

Want to know how you can help? Here are six 6Things Parents Can Do:

1 Pray for us.

(Here’s a good one):

Good and kind God,

fill the hearts of our students with an eagerness to learn about

themselves, the world, and, most of all,

about You.

Bless our parents and teachers with the gifts of open hearts, wisdom, and patience,

so that they may encourage and support our children

and help them find and love, truth, and beauty.

Help us all work together to form a community of learning that teaches not only

skills for material success,

but all that we need to live in You.

Amen.

(Over, please)

2 Help out with supplies for St. Clement Art program.

(Please send them to the art room to be recycled into art tools or supplies.)

· An old digital still camera that uses 3 ½ in. floppies

· gallon ice cream buckets

3Encourage your children’s interest in art.

(Here are 4 ideas.)

· Talk about art…say, about a special work of art in your own home or perhaps about area architecture. Discuss why it is art (or not). Discuss the differences in its visual parts and function. Discuss how you would re-design it. Discuss who designed and made it, when and why.

· Provide materials and a place to create art. Encourage your child to describe the projects done in art class, or visit the art classroom on the St. C. website to see a process in progress. Your child can repeat the project, not duplicating their class work, but exploring another answer to the problem. Your child will see that making art is a natural way to experiment, express him or herself, and communicate to others.

· Discuss and display your child’s finished work. Some art class projects are displayed online at www.artsonia.com . When your child creates a work of art, ask him/her to tell you his/her view of it. Accept the child’s work and his or her viewpoint of it, so that you encourage the child to explore art further. Be positive and give praise sincerely. For example, point out a detail that shows extra effort, or is creative, well-crafted, or well placed.

· Visit the St. Louis Art Museum or other cultural center. Watch for special events. Before you go, talk about what you will see. Go often so you don’t try to do too much in one day.

4Mark your calendars for the Saint Clement Art Show May 3, 2009.

5Want to know more? Visit our website quarterly

There are many more documents that I’ve prepared or updated for you.

Thanks to Mrs. Flores and her Web Club, you can get these documents online. Go to

http://www.stclementschool.com/ , then click on <Visit Our Classrooms>, then <Art>

Check this web site for quarterly (or so) art updates on art activities. You can also send me a note to request a printed copyof these documents..

6Write, Call, E-mail, Visit

I always welcome questions, visits or suggestions as well as volunteer help. See me to sign up to help. The best way to schedule a class time visit is with an e-mail through Fast Direct that tells me the best time and way to contact you.

As always, thanks for all the support that you give to your art program at St. Clement. Mary Sturm