Sundance Elementary 2009-2010
Community Unity Project Journals
What follows are journal entries from leaders and participants of the Mosaic Project.
If you would like to submit an entry please Contact Shylene!
To return to the photo gallery, Click HereSubmitted By: Shylene
Outreach , team building, project planning - STEP ONE
For a few weeks now Mrs. Hardy and I have met to talk about the plans, dates, learning outcomes and such for the project. We produced handouts to go home, fliers to go around the school and posters to go around the neighborhood.
We planned the first big meeting to happen in a week without a Pro-day, holiday or WSM. So that left Nov 16th. We thought early in the week would be better than late, and early in the evening also better then late.
Then fliers in hand Cedar and Finbar from Mrs. Stead's class headed out one afternoon to invite all the neighbors on Bank Street to join us. Starting at the Oak Bay side of the street we went t every door. And to our surprise there was more than twice the number of doors than we thought, this is because almost every house on the street is a double or triple suited place. So in more than an hour we walked up every flight of stairs and spoke to about 6 people. We met one woman with two children, directly across the road, a young man who plays guitar, a builder, a mom with a baby, and another lady who was walking her little puppy. Both Fin and Cedar learned what to say and we took turns saying our spiel to each neighbor. All in all a good outing.
Then two days later, four more students - River, Skyray, Nicolas and Markus, myself and one more parent, Tara Black, walked the other flanking streets - Dutchess and Fern? Again to each doorway and up each flight of stairs we knocked and invited. We talked to a few interesting neighbors and hoped they would join us the workshop next week.
So, we handed out about 60 fliers, sent one home to each family, and sent out a few email invites too. Fingers crossed.
Then on Monday the 16th two students Nico and Cole helped me get the portable ready for the walkshop that night. We moved tables, desks and chairs, organized and put away props and decorations. The room was ready for the projects first community event.
A cold, wet and windy, dark autumn's even at 6pm I arrived with family in tow, my husband helped set up the projector and sound system for the presentation. Mrs. Hardy opened curtains, turned up the heat and put on a pot of tea. Our first participants arrived - Maya and her mom Michelle .. we introduced ourselves and waited. After a bit the door opened and a stranger walked in - Don was his name. An older fellow all bundled up umbrella in hand, uncoated and joined our party. He is from England originally and was interested in the project because he saw one of the two posters we put on the telephone pole. He lives around the corner in a big apartment where he sadly can't get to know many neighbors .. so with the invitation on the poster - Come and Get to Know your Neighbors - he arrived.
Unfortunately, no one else managed the ugly autumn night and we had to postpone the Walkshop. We did watch the Central Middle School Video about their Community Unity project and talked a bit more about our project before calling it a night.
This unsuccessful meeting was further proof that we do need to create community unity in this area of town, in this school and in this obviously unattached community. SO .. bring on the challenge - to Community Unity this area!!
YA..
We have a smaller meeting scheduled for this Wed. and we will see who arrives :)
Meeting Day Two
~ one mom comes - Kieren's mom Rowena ~
Okay so this isn't working - we are at holding pattern ..how do we get more families out .. how do we create community unity when no one comes, no one submits info or emails for more info .. hhmm
Rowena has the great idea to create a large map showing where all our families live ..then making the connections between all of them and Sundance's actual neighborhood. I thought maybe the leadership students could create this large map ... hmmmm...
Just as I am writing this Tara Black came in to apologies for not making the presentation - she was stuck in another meeting that ran long - no worries, the "presentation" has yet to happen....hmm
So far, lots of hmms? ..lots of time waiting - now some strategy will need to be formulated to continue movements forward
Submitted By: Shylene
As Sundance's Artist in Residence, we thought this a great opportunity to teach the children art. Using our time together to get to know one another, and learn more about the "rules" of art. Believing this will help when it comes time to actually build in mosaic, as these rules will have to be followed closely. Starting in December I introduced myself to all the students and let them know I would be doing some art lessons with them in the New Year. I took this time to tell them a little bit more about the "big mosaic project" and invite them too come out to Art Club on Tuesdays. First week back after winter break, I snuck into each classroom and wished everyone a very Happy New year!! And reminded them all about me and that I would be back next week to start making more art oh and don't forget to day is ART CLUB :) Since then I have been spending time in all the classrooms getting to know all the students and staff individually. Learning everyone's name is a good lesson for me. We have been doing art lessons around color theory and lines. It has been a great learning experience for me to see just where all the students abilities lie and where we can work together to strengthen their understandings.
Art club has also been running since early in the fall 2009. Lots of students come out some only sometimes and others every week. We have done work on the basics like drawing, sketching, and we have done fun and different things like clay, paper box making and paper maché. I thought it would be fun and "easy" to do gluing or collage style work to first week back, oooppsss. Because I had just seen all the students and reminded them of Art Club.. the portable was packed - so many students.. such a mess.. it took me more than an hour to clean up all the glue .. Crazy.. and fun :)
Many of the students have been working on their "ever changing picture" and we will be excited to display these during the School talent show in the spring.
First Meeting in 2010 - Mosaic Project.
Another meeting and a few more people means the teams are coming together. Rowena is going to write this week's journal:
Submitted By: Rowena
Sundance Mosaic Pieces Coming Together
Over the last several months an artist and an elementary school Principal have been hatching a plan. An exercise in creating art and creating community is in the works. Shylene Schlakl is the artist in residence at Sundance Elementary School, a school of choice in Victoria. As artist in residence Shylene has been doing art with all the kids in their classrooms. Various people have helped to secure funding for the project and the Principal of the school Barb Hardy has permission from the School Board for a full blown mosaic to be created at the school. A few students and parents have knocked on neighbours doors. Many neighbours can see the school clearly through the bare winter trees. A mosaic will add winter colour and interest to the landscape. Today there were buckets of rain coming down but a Mosaic meeting was held, the first of many. In a community building meeting a few dedicated parents met with the mosaic artist and Peter Such and Joyce Kline from the Victoria College of Art located next door. Ideas about adding a 3D sculptural dimension to the mosaic were tossed back and forth.
The Mosaic Project has room for everyone. There are teams being formed to do the creative design, the documentation, outreach and _______. Whatever skills you have can be put to good use. People can choose to be involved in the project from beginning to end or they can can participate on a casual basis. The next meetings coming up are at Sundance School in the portable next Wednesday at 2:00pm Jan 20th and Thursday 3:00pm Jan. 21st.