Art
Art is not apart; it is a continuum within which we all participate. All children from Nursery through Sixth Grade come to the Art Room for a dedicated art curriculum, designed for children to grow as artists, as problem-solvers, as thoughtful members of our community.
Approach
Throughout the years, all students develop an artistic vocabulary. They are introduced to a range of artists, from the masters to contemporary artists—with a thorough investigation of cultural art—which allows them to become familiar with art history, art movements and art criticism. Within each unit of study, the students look at artworks that support the concepts and vocabulary taught in that unit. They have opportunities to describe, analyze, interpret and critique works of art. Through this process they learn to recognize and describe the art elements— form, line, shape, color, texture, space, value—and art principles—emphasis, balance, harmony, variety, movement, rhythm, proportion, unity—used in the individual pieces.
Recently students celebrated the 100th day of school!
The 3rd / 4th grade classes set up and ran the annual 100th day obstacle course - ten stations with ten fun repetitions (to equal 100). They helped guide each class through the course, taking care to assist and cheer on everyone from our oldest to youngest students.
Kindergarten / 1st grade children also had a morning filled with discussions: “what would you want 100 of?” “how are 100 grains of sand different than 100 skyscrapers?” “can we come up with 100 movements (grouped in 10s?)” Many squats soon followed. 🙂
Among other projects, students also made necklaces out of 100 cheerios, made ships and castles with exactly 100 pieces, and collaborated with a partner to make a 100-link paper chain.
The 2nd graders even learned to count to 100 (cien) in spanish!
Hard work, thoughtfulness, determination, and joy: all in the life of a Miquon kid.
#progressiveeducation #learningoutsidetheclassroom #miquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #progressiveschool #independentschools
It was a big day at Miquon yesterday!
The K/1 classes tapped two maple trees on campus to begin collecting sap. They helped drill the holes, position the buckets, and everyone got a little taste.
"The sap from this tree tastes like water," one child observed. "The other tree is sweeter."
Stay tuned! The children will keep an eye on the buckets as the sap collects, and then begins the process of transforming sap to syrup.
#progressiveeducation #learningoutsidetheclassroom #learningoutside #LearningOutdoors #mapletreetapping #miquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #independentschools #proudtobemiquon #progressiveschool #phillyindependentschools
Each year at Miquon, older kids are paired with younger kids as `buddies.` The pairings spend time together reading, playing, and getting to know each other. Here you`ll see notes that 3rd / 4th grade kids left for Kindergarten / 1st grade kids on the classroom window.
"You are very kind and inspiring," says one of the notes. "I appreciate you being my buddy!"
#proudtobemiquon #foreveramiquonkid #playbasedlearning #miquonschool #progressiveschool #progressiveeducation #montcoparents #IndependentSchool
We believe: every person is a thinker, creator, and contributor.
This belief is reflected so beautifully through the Miquon art room`s Community Weaving Loom.
All children from first through sixth grade are invited to add to a community weaving project, and each participant is given a voice at every stage of the design and creation stages. Everyone works together to come up with ideas, agree on a theme, and then create a sketch for the weavers to use as their map.
This makes for some wonderful moments—it’s a tangle of hands working together, with children sharing ideas and helping new weavers learn what to do. The finished weavings are masterpieces! See what they`ve been working on this year.
#progressiveeducation #progressiveschool #miquonart #miquonschool #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #independentschool #phillyfamilies #foreveramiquonkid #montcoparents
Recently in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students read books about his life and legacy and voted as a class about which book to recommend to the rest of the school as part of a special assembly.
Here in the 2nd grade they read two books: Boycott Blues, which narrates the bus boycott in Montgomery County, and My Brother Martin, a book that describes Dr. King`s childhood from his sister`s perspective.
Both books sparked meaningful conversation and when the class voted, they had a perfectly even tie! Some children preferred My Brother Martin because it told stories about Dr. King`s childhood and what led him to become an activist, and others preferred Boycott Blues because it focused on the greater movement of which Dr. King was part.
The children decided to recommend both books to the rest of the school.
#progressiveschool #miquonschool #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #foreveramiquonkid #martinlutherkingjr #montcopa #childrensbooks #progressiveeducation #phillyindependentschools #MLKDay
What is a picture book?
(The answer is more complicated than you might think!)
What does distinguished mean?
What makes a good picture book?
How do you reach an important decision as a group?
These are the guiding questions students at Miquon have been thinking about this year as they`ve learned about the Caledecott Award and examined past winning books through the eyes of Junior Caldecott Medal Committee Members.
Our librarian Sarah Stippich is wrapping up her year on the 2025 Randolph Caldecott committee, which will decide on the “most distinguished American picture book for children” published in 2024.
The award has been around since 1938 and the committee is made up of 15 librarians from around the country. All year Sarah has been reading HUNDREDS of picture books and meeting with the committee. She’s currently at the American Library Association’s winter conference so they can make their final deliberations, call the illustrators of the medal and honor book(s), and attend the big press conference where the 2025 award winners will be announced to the world.
Yay Sarah!
If you want to see to the press conference, you can! It`s this morning (Monday, January 27) at 10:00 a.m. EST. Visit the link in our bio to tune in.
#progressiveeducation #phillyfamilies #phillyindependentschools #foreveramiquonkid #proudtobemiquon #themiquonschool #childrensbooks #Caldecott #progressiveschool
Every child has the opportunity to observe, reflect, take risks, make mistakes, be playful, and have fun. Children have the opportunity to express themselves confidently through their art, and to know that this expression is a valuable and necessary component of a healthy community. More important than any academic consideration is this: our children make art. This ʻlearning by doingʼ is the central and guiding ideal at Miquon. In the Art Room, it forms the foundation and the core of all that we do.
More about the Art Curriculum
At Miquon, we believe that students establish mastery at different times and in their own way. For that reason, The Art Curriculum Skills and Concepts are less specific than a traditional scope and sequence.
Want to delve deeper? There’s even more detail available in the annual Art Curriculum Report.
Other Art Happenings at Miquon
The Art Room is often open and available at Choice Time for students to come in and work on existing projects, or begin new ones. Each spring, the Art and Science Show is an event that showcases work from every child in the school. The art presentation is curated by the students and the art teacher for parents to view in exhibition format.
Art Blog
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