WELCOME to a new year in art!!

Dear AISE West Parent,

Hi, my name is Krista Cary and I am the Grades 1 – 5 Art Teacher at AISE West. I would like to briefly introduce myself and my art program. First of all, like any good art teacher, I love all kinds of art, especially painting! Plus, I am equally as passionate about passing my love of art making and appreciation for art in society on to my students. You might be surprised to learn that I also like desert camping, grow my own herbs, and have owned a motorcycle back in Iowa, U.S.A., where I am from. 

I hope you are as excited as I am for a new school year, and in particular, for another great year of artistic growth for your child!  This year I will use the AERO Visual Arts Standards as a guide for my curriculum.  There will be a focus on purposeful experimentation as well as a continued emphasis on color theory and the elements and principles of design. Your child will learn to use the language of art to understand and evaluate artwork. In addition, your child will learn about the significance of art in cultural identity and history, and make connections to present day uses for art and creativity. It is my aim that through art, your child will develop confidence and the capabilities to think independently and solve problems creatively, which are essential skills in today’s world.

In order to create a positive learning environment, I have high expectations in my classroom. As before, I will expect all students to demonstrate the 3 R’s : Respect, Responsibility, and Ready to Learn. This year, I will also define CHAMPS expectations for each activity we will do. If a student is having significant trouble following the expectations, I will let you know, so that we can work together to create a solution.

I believe that if we work as a team, we can help your child to get the most from their art program at AISW. Please contact me at any time if you have concerns or questions about your child’s art education. I want your child to have the best experience possible and to gain new skills and confidence throughout the year. If there is anything specific I can do to help make this happen, please let me know.

This year, I have also designed some special ways that you and your child can be more involved and progress quickly in art.  First, I will assign a weekly art challenge, which students can work on at home. If your child completes and turns in the art challenge to me, I will post their work, either in the art room or on our classroom Instagram site, https://instagram.com/mskristasartists/. Also, I will use a classroom blog, http://mskristasartists.blogspot.com, to post updates and important information. For Grades 4 and 5 in particular, I will begin posting videos with classroom content as well. I highly recommend that your child watch these videos at home, so that they will have an advantage during art class. More information related to these “flipped art room” videos will be given to Grade 4 and 5 parents soon.

To a creative year,

Ms. Krista Cary

Grades 1 – 5 Art Teacher

Visual Arts Curator