Summer School Sun Art

This morning I joined forces with the fabulous Mrs. Davis and Mrs Watkins to create a bright and fun sun art project to display in the Leon Sheffield hallway.  We had around 20 upcoming 3rd through 5th graders attend the class and we all, teachers included, had a blast making our art project.

Mrs. Davis found the idea on a Teaching Blog.  Most teachers follow others teaching blogs and borrow their wonderful classroom ideas.  This is a wonderful example of how sharing what goes on in your classroom on a blog can be helpful to others.

Mrs. Watkins was the creative brain power behind the logistics (<---logistics is a big word.  Do you know what it means?) of this activity.  She is the artsy one so Mrs. Davis used a little strategy in selecting her to help with the activity.

I just volunteered my time to help with crowd control and the management of supplies.  What I didn't realize was that I would get to create my very own awesome sunshine painting!

Supplies:

1 Gallery Wrapped Canvas per person

Blue Paint

White Paint

Orange Paint

Yellow Paint

Red Paint (optional)

Paint Brushes (we used foam brushes)

Various Scrapbook Paper

Modge Podge

Bowls/Plates for paint

Step 1:  Paint the entire canvas, including the sides, blue.  The canvas is to resemble clouds.  We incorporated some white to provide a "cloudy" look and used swirls, zigzags, waves, etc...to create cool effects.

Step 2:  Once the blue paint is dry, use orange and yellow paint to create half of a sun on your canvas.  The bottom of the sun must be touching the side or the bottom of the canvas.

I chose to lay my canvas horizontally and place my sun at the bottom, but the canvas can be turned vertically and the sun can be placed on the side rather than the bottom regardless of the orientation of the canvas.

Step 3:  Cut strips of scrapbook paper to resemble sun rays.  Keep in mind that these strips do not need to be perfect.  Mrs. Watkins taught us that randomness was an important component of this activity!

Step 4:  Select a variety of strips to be the rays of your sun.  You will need approximately 8 strips.  Choose different sizes, colors, and patterns.  Once you have selected your rays you may paint the blue sky using the modge podge.  Modge podge acts as glue but it dries clear!  Lay your rays on top of the area that has been modge podged and then modge podge again.  This time you are sealing the rays in place.

Step 5:  Proudly present your work!

We had a great time!!!

My Summer

My summer began like many of yours, with the Alabama Jubilee.  What an absolutely perfect weekend we had for the balloons!  The Sunday morning flight brought the balloons right over my house.  Mr. Upton and I were able to watch them drop right behind our house.  We LOVED it!  Having balloons fly over our house is truly a rare thing living on the Southwest side of town.

I have also seen balloons almost every Saturday morning since the Jubilee weekend.  Each Saturday morning I get up early to go run with some friends.  We saw these balloons preparing to take off one morning out at Point Mallard.  Other mornings we have just seen them in the air.

 I have spent a lot of my time running this summer.  Crazy, right?  It's only 90 degrees outside and I'm outside running!  I actually have been getting up around 5:30 in the morning to get a couple of miles in before it gets too terribly hot outside.

I used to run a whole lot but when Mr. Upton and I got married 2 years ago I quit.  This summer I decided I would start again and began by running a 10K (6.2 miles) sponsored by Chick-Fil-A.  Amazingly, I won 1st place in my age division.  

Now I am running about 40 miles each week and can run about 15 miles at one time.  I'm running that much because I have decided to run a marathon in October and it takes about 18 weeks of training before you can run one.  A Marathon is 20 more miles than a 10K.  

Last week I got together with other teachers from Leon Sheffield and went to Smith Lake for the day.  We had a blast and it was so fun seeing everyone that I haven't seen during the summer.

I'm slowly getting back up to the classroom to get things reorganized for the next group of awesome 4th graders that will enter room 27!  I must have the room completely ready in the next few weeks though because Mr. Upton and I are going to enjoy some time at the beach before school starts back.

I hope you are having a great summer!!

Click on the pencil right below these questions to leave your reponses.

1.  Tell me some fun, exciting, or interesting things you've done this summer.  

2.  Did you figure out exactly how many miles I will be running in my marathon?

3.  Tell me two books you have read this summer.  If you've only read one then I will accept settle for one :/

Nerd Day

Nerd Day fell on my birthday.  What better way to celebrate another year of a blessed life than by having a fun dress up day?  

2 of my friends dressed up with me. 

I got real crazy on my birthday and let them convince me to play tether ball, too.  It is amazingly fun AND such a workout.  Who knew??  I left with a bruised eye and busted blood vessels in my arm.  I'm way too competitive, LOL.

Delano Mile

The Delano Mile this year was postponed for the first time since I've been at Leon Sheffield.  The race was moved due to inclement weather.  Unfortunately the weather on the make-up day wasn't much better.  The students bundled up and braved the COLD 1 mile run!

And they're off...

They normally receive gatorade and popsicles once they complete the run because it is normally very hot outside.  This year they had their normal treats but could've probably used some hot chocolate instead :).

Fast runners!

Way to go, guys!!

Animal Lovers Unite

One of our Bling Slip rewards was Show & Tell.  Students were given an option of bringing in 3 items of their choice or 1 live item.  We had many animals visit this year including 2 unique ones:  a horse and a duck!

Ashton brought her precious puppy in to share with us.  She was the cuttest, smallest thing I had ever seen!

Sam brought in his pet duck, Si.  Si was a huge hit!

And then there was the always anticipated and loved animal man, Bob Tarter.  This year Mr. Tarter brought in (pictured clockwise beginning in the top left corner) a bat, a Three-toed Amphiuma, an opossum (YUCK!), and a raccoon.

Oh Yeah!  We can't forget THE BOBCAT!!  He was a very friendly creature but I wouldn't want to tote him around like Mr. Tarter does. :)

The animal man always brings the most interesting animals.  Lucky for my he chose not to bring any snakes this year.  I've ended up in this situation one too many times :).