Art Smart At Brunson

Location: Brunson (Milton) Math & Science Specialty Elementary School

Date: Saturday, April 05, 2014; 9:50 am-11:30 pm

Back after a long time

It had been a really long time since I had done this project.  In fact, it had been a long time since I had done any Saturday school project!  I signed up for this and then debated switching to ‘Mad Scientist’, but decided to stick with my original plan.  This meant the extended bus ride which took its time, but eventually deposited me a block away from the school.  As I walked up to the entrance I found it to be locked.  Since it was time for the project to start I thought that they may have changed the entrance since I had been here last, but then someone came and let me in.  Went to the usual classroom and saw that Sara was already there with a couple of volunteers, including a regular leader for the Chicago Cares’ ‘Boys and Girls Club’ project on Monday’s.  It had been a year since I had been here last, when we had done projects to celebrate ‘Earth Day’.  Sara said that it was the theme for this morning’s project as well.  Well, if nothing else, at least I am consistent!

Through this project we were aiming to educate the kids about being "green", but Sara was concerned that we were using Styrofoam plates for one of the activities.  I said that my background was in polymers and although this was a stretch, we could mention that Styrofoam was a polymer and some plastics could be recycled.  Plus we could use them to make products to replace wood, thus preventing trees from being chopped.  There’s always a teaching moment in everything.  Soon we were joined by the kids as well as another volunteer.  Sara handed out a printout of the ‘Earth Day’ facts and all of us took turns in reading it.  I must say that of all the school projects, the kids over here are some of the best-behaved and all of them were keen to read – something that we struggle with in other places. 

Now where have I seen this before?

Our first project was a repeat of something else that I done here before, ‘Marbled Paper’ made from shaving cream.  As we distributed the supplies, I reminded the kids that this was shaving and not whipped cream, lest they try to taste it!  There were two little girls on my table and the younger one was making a green heart on her shaving cream, saying that green was her favorite color.  It certainly went with our theme for the day. The older one wrote, “I love school”, something that I would not have expected.  I asked them what they liked about school, and the younger gild said that she liked Math, though she wanted to be an actor!  I made the exact same design as last year, colored circles, followed by designs using the back of a brush.  I transferred it on paper and while it was smudged on the edges, it looked passable.  That was until I saw the design's that the kids behind me had made - full of colors and creativity.

Now that's a tote bag!

Next, we were decorating tote bags, again something that we had done before. The bags this time were a lot bigger, meaning more real estate for kids to play with.  The younger girl picked a green bag and then using green paint, started drawing hearts on it.  There was definitely a pattern to her art work!  The older girl was finishing her design on the shaving cream and needed my help in transferring it to paper. While the transfer wasn’t perfect, she was a sweet kid and said that she liked it anyways.  She then selected a purple bag and started painting the base blue like an ocean.  I told her to use two shades of blue to show the waves and she liked that idea.  She said that I was going to be her co-painter and consultant and with that decided, we got underway.  Next came white clouds, followed by an island.  She then drew a tree and I put red dots on it as apples.  Next was a boat with sails and finally a man picking the apples.  It really looked good and she was pleased, thanking me twice for helping, though it was all her.

Next, the kids went to the gym to run around.  It seems that they get just one session of gym a week and this is their opportunity to get some additional playtime.  I mentioned to Sara that it was sad that it was so little time, but at least they were getting something.  The kids invited me to join them and I went for a bit to see them play with skipping ropes, do handstands and also shoot some hoops.  They looked happy, though it was hardly 10 minutes before they had to leave.  I chatted with the other volunteers as the kids prepared to head out.  It had been a lovely morning and a refreshing reboot for me.  I had not done a Chicago Cares project in a long time and I realized what I had been missing.  And it’s all because of the kids over here.  It definitely makes the long bus ride worthwhile.