A wonderful, frustrating, wonderful day

So our day started off earlier today as we went to the Red Rose School to deliver a program.  It was wonderful.  We got to teach the kindergartners about portraits and shared with them the Mona Lisa.....They Loved her.  After having been formally educated in Art and its history, there is still no allure of her to me, but all our students from Kindergarten to Forms 3 thinks she is just beautiful.  Then they got to spend time creating a portrait of themselves and others.  It was great.  They do not stick within the lines which makes them so appealing and they are so engaged that they laugh and praise every thing they do. All I can hear as I type this is " Hello to our visitors"  in their singsong voices.  They are just lovely.  Margaret is a natural with these kids and they just love her.

Then off to St. Al's.  We had a scheduling issue that has happened both yesterday and today.  The kids had forum in the church. One day boys one day girls and they come late so we have started class with those that are present and then others come in and we end up needing to stop everything to let them get settled.  The desks are so tight that you have to move desks to get by and some are not in the class but have their stuff locked in the desk... This will not happen the next few days, we have been assured. Some of the students were on watercolors and then spilt water, etc, it was as frustrating for us teaching as those learning.  My forms 3 studio session went well and they ended up wanting to work longer which they ended up doing.  They took responsibility of collecting their materials and putting them away.  It was just great to see their enthusiasm.  It is also exciting to see the forms 2, Margaret's class also so engaged.  The day ended with forms 3 class being totally focused and forms 1/2 doing studio well.  All in part of a days work. So great to have such engagement.

We are basically 2 days away from being done.  Friday is a celebration day and an art review day.  Our next 2 days are just packed.  We are excited, the students are doing great work and it is obvious that the work we are doing with these students makes an impact, who knew that we would be planning a 3rd year for 2010 and thinking out even further. 

More to report later......

Charles and Margaret