I have been teaching at Sunrise since 1979.  There have been many changes over the years but one thing is still true for me. Sunrise is a good place to teach.  I feel fortunate to be able to share my love of the visual arts with students, parents, and colleagues.

This district supports the arts.  Sunrise students are given the opportunity to work with a wide variety of visual arts materials. The art room has its own kiln, so students from kindergarten through eighth grade make a ceramic piece almost every year. Students practice techniques in disciplines such as drawing, printmaking, weaving, and design. They are exposed to art history through the study of various artists and cultures, and they learn to appreciate the art of others by viewing, talking about, and responding to works of art.

The biggest event of the school year with respect to the arts is the spring concert and art show. I hang on to most projects students produce throughout the year. In April students go through these projects and make their selections for the show.  All the ceramic pieces automatically go in as their three dimensional piece. These are displayed on the tables in the cafeteria. Students also pick a two dimensional piece to be displayed in the hallways of the fine arts wing and the cafeteria. I arrange for judges to come in after school and award ribbons for artwork. The art show and concert is a one evening event. All projects are returned to the students the next day.  

I also sponsor Art Club for grades 6-8.  We have done projects such as the dragon sculpture and school mascot paintings in the gym and constructed a puppet theater for the school.  It is portable enough for any class to use and will allow Sunrise students to experience a bit of theater and drama.

Art Club members also help me facilitate art workshops for students and parents one night a month. We begin the year with kindergarten in September and finish with fifth grade in February or March. It is a great way for parents and their children to have fun doing arts and crafts together. It is also a nice opportunity for me to meet and get to know the parents of some of my students.

I look forward to working with students and parents of Sunrise.

Artfully yours,

Nancy Lawson