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St. Thomas Introduces Pottery to Art Curriculum

11/10/2014
St. Thomas Introduces Pottery to Art Curriculum

There is something really amazing about creating art with your hands.  Your creation captures the essence of your experiences and your senses at a single moment in time.  Every time you see that piece of art, you remember exactly where you were and what was happening in the world around you at the moment it was created.   

Through the art program at St. Thomas the Apostle School, students of all ages explore and create with a variety of medium including clay, one of the oldest art media known to man.  Using slab-building, pinch pots, coil building, and sculpting techniques, students are creating a range of original pieces from vases to figurines.  Katie, a sixth grade student who wants to be an art teacher, says that for her, working with clay produces feelings of calm.  “I find it relaxing.”  She says that when her hands are shaping her creation it is like she is meditating. 

The kiln, which was a new addition to the classroom at the beginning of the year, was opened for the first time at the end of October.  Miss Chonski, Preschool-Grade 8 art teacher remarked, “It was fun to watch the wonder and excitement build as students watched the transformation from squishy raw clay to hard, white pristine bisque ware to the most remarkable transformation of shiny glazed ware as it emerged from the kiln.” 

At St. Thomas the Apostle school, we see the benefits of working with clay in the classroom extending into the far reaches of everyday life.  Working with clay provides a sensory experience which forces students to think about shape, structures, and forms three dimensionally.  In addition to challenging the imagination, working with clay requires each artist to become more emotionally flexible as it is more often than not that the piece of art work does not look quite like what was envisioned.  Additionally, as students develop their emotional and creative skills, they are also developing a variety of physical skills including building upper body strength, and increasing coordination while participating in a multi-step process.   Each of the skills will be easily translated to a new way of thinking, planning, and finding solutions both inside and outside of the classroom.

It is always our goal to provide students with opportunities to explore the world around them in traditional ways including Math, history, Languages and Science.  We believe that it is equally important to be able to offer experiences in fine arts, music and fitness in order to ensure a well-rounded student.

For more information about St. Thomas the Apostle School, please contact Carmel Foltan, Dir. of Enrollment at (518) 439-5573 or cfoltan@stthoams-school.org.



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