Mrs. Spetrino's Art Studio News

Happy 2025! It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the school year. We have been having fun creating artwork in our art studio and there is plenty more to come! I hope you have had the opportunity to see your child's artwork on Artsonia. I know the website sends a lot of emails, but please take the time to check it out every once in a while. Your child's portfolio will keep growing year after year. We use this site to also reflect on our learning. If you are ever looking for a creative gift they do a great job with their souvenir items. Keep reading to see what's happening in our studio.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and let me know.

Thanks for your support.

Mrs. Jacqui Spetrino

spetrino@mentorschools.org

We had lots of fun building clay snails before break and we will have fun painting them. We also will begin learning how to draw a self-portrait soon. It's been great watching them grow into such a great group of young students! We are learning so much!!

We have been learning about illustrators in class and enjoyed reading the Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. We built our own caterpillars out of clay and will be painting them soon. We also will begin a unit on portrait drawing. It's fun to watch how far we have come and grown this year!

We have been working with clay building turtles. We will have fun next, experimenting with glazes and painting them. Then we will learn to draw a self-portrait.

We had fun building silly little frogs out of clay and will paint them soon. We can't wait to show them off! Then we will begin a self-portrait! We have been having so much fun this year!

Our second graders have been having fun building with clay. We will paint our clay creations next! It's been a great start to second grade!

Third graders have been building Morty out of clay. It took us three weeks to build him! We will spend the next few weeks painting our sculptures. We can't wait to show them off!

Fourth graders have been having fun with their black light art projects. Mrs. Lorek's class painted Lava Lamps and Mrs. Kalous & Mrs. Carrassquillo's classes have been creating printing blocks for their radial designs. We had to put the actual printing on hold to start the Talking Art Museum! But we will print in March. If you have a 4th grader, mark your calendar because the Talking Art Museum will be February 26th 1:00-2:45. You won't want to miss it!

We are so excited to have our chance to present our own Talking Art Museum.

Fifth graders have been learning about one-point perspective. Mrs. Grebec's class is drawing circular perspective cities and Mrs. Curry's class painted Grant Haffner landscapes. This has been a real challenge for them and I'm really proud of their work! We will start a clay project next to reward them for their hard work!

We've been having fun in Art class. We had fun making holiday project and now we are building with clay. It should be a lot of fun painting it!

We had so much fun at PTA Paint Night! Thanks to everyone that was able to join us!

In art class, I am using Mona Lisa as a teaching tool to get students quiet and ready to learn. Try it at home, and see if they can strike a pose! :)

All Sterling Morton students will have a digital portfolio this year. If you do not know what Artsonia is yet please email me and I will make sure you get set up properly.

Students in grades 1-5 will be using Artsonia in class to submit artwork and write reflections on their artwork.

Here is a link to our school's Artsonia site. It is also a great place to buy keepsakes with your child's artwork on it! These make great gifts for moms and grandparents. I just love seeing the students wearing t-shirts that proudly display their masterpiece!

https://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=91626

Elementary Art students’ assessment is based on the following:

• Knowledge and use of art concepts including the elements of art and principles of design

• Craftsmanship (control of tools and materials)

• Creative Expression (The ability to use memory and imagination for visual expression)

• Demonstrates and understanding of artistic concepts

• Demonstrates artistic techniques appropriate to grade level

O Outstanding 9.5-10 pts. out of 10

The student:

• Applies elements and principles of design in a highly effective manner.

• Shows superb craftsmanship

• Demonstrates a high level or creativity and originality

• Uses previous knowledge towards new lessons

• Demonstrates ability beyond grade level

S+ Above Average 8-9.4 pts. out of 10

The student:

• Shows some awareness of applying elements and principles of design

• Shows an effective level of craftsmanship

• Demonstrates creativity

• Makes connections to prior learning

• Demonstrates above grade level ability

S Satisfactory 7-7.9 pts. out of 10

The student:

• Demonstrates an average understanding in the application of the elements and principles of design

• Shows an adequate level of craftsmanship

• Demonstrates some creativity

• Begins to make connections to previous knowledge

• Demonstrates grade level ability

S- Below Average 6-6.9 pts. out of 10

The student:

• Demonstrates less than grade level understanding of the elements and principles of design.

• Shows limited craftsmanship

• Shows a low level of creativity

• Has difficulty in making connections to previous knowledge

• Demonstrates below grade level ability

NI Needs Improvement 5.9 or less out of 10

The student:

• Has not adequately completed art work

• Needs improvement in skill and technique application

I am excited to begin my 20th year of teaching in Mentor, where I will be at Ridge elementary on Mondays and Sterling Morton on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. I also serve as the elementary department chair for visual art.

I pride myself in creating a classroom community where every student feels safe, welcomed and relaxed. This year I am excited to try some new things as our students will have the opportunity to work with many different mediums and styles of art. I also will post photos of the fun we are having on Twitter/X. Please feel free to call or email me anytime with your concerns or comments. I want every student to love art class.

Email: spetrino@mentorschools.org
Website: https://twitter.com/shortartists
Location: 9292 Jordan Drive, Mentor, OH, United States
Phone: 440 257-5954
Twitter: @shortartists