Can Do! Spotlight!
Scroll down to view all the exciting things that are happening with our Instructional Specialists, their students, and our community!
2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
March 2022
Celebrating Women's History Month through Art at MES & VAL
2nd grade and 3rd grade at VAL, who’ve been reading the works of poets Amanda Gorman and Maya Angelou in class, created art inspired by Paul Klee’s painting and poem, “Once Emerged from the Gray of Night”.
MES
Celtic Knots by 4th Graders at MES
Cow Portraits from 1st Grade VAL students.
Students at MES studied two Ukrainian female artists. Older grades are trying their hand at fashion design and exploring the incredible work of Sonia Delaunay! Our younger artists are enjoying experimenting with textural painting and creating flower vases inspired by Olesya Hudyma.
February 2022
Can Do! Art Specialist at Lucas Valley, Ms. Paula, began celebrating Black History Month and Black artists.
Can Do! Art Specialist at Vallecito, Mr. Newman, helped students celebrate the Chinese New Year - Year of the Tiger with these creative and festive symmetrical tiger prints. (2nd grade)
January 2022
Can Do! Art Specialist at Mary Silveira, Ms. Winter, led the kids in making this beautiful and fun display of clay candy representing kindness. Thanks for all your creative inspiration to the MES students!
December 2021
Mary Silveira art specialist, Laura Winter and the DEI team helped honor the diversity in our community through an art installation called “With Rain We Make Rainbows”. It will be on display starting Monday, December, 13 at the entrance to the school.
Students created raindrops with images of their favorite tradition or celebration in art class with Ms. Winter.
The raindrops will hang in front of a backdrop of Mt. Tam and the colorful rainbow is to remind us that it is with each individual raindrop that we create a magnificent rainbow.
November 2021
Students showed their thanks through art with Art Specialist, Ms. Ockner.
Congratulations to the 7th grade Cross Country Champs!
Volleyball fun!
Lucas Valley got to work beautifying their garden with the help of their new Garden Specialist, Elizabeth Etienne.
October 2021
Laura Winter and Paula Ockner's classes created these great projects, inspired by Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama.
September 2021
Students checking out the new Wellness Center at Miller Creek.
2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Elementary Art Shows
Join us as we celebrate the abundance of creativity from our Miller Creek Elementary students at our end of year art shows. Thank you to Art Specialist Laura Winter for creating these amazing virtual exhibitions. Click on the photos below and enjoy the shows!
THE WISHING TREE - MAY 2021
“The Wishing Tree” is Art Instructor Laura Winter’s latest project. Students are creating decorated hearts, with their wish for the future, that will be hung on a tree at each school. Make sure to look for the tree the next time you are on campus.
IN CELEBRATION OF EARTH DAY - APRIL 22, 2021
Check out this great art lesson from Laura Winter, highlighting the work of the British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy who is known for his site-specific installations involving natural materials.
Thank you to Ms. Laura Winter, our Instructional Art Specialist, for putting together this awesome video from this month's art project to celebrate women who put a stamp on history.
MILLER CREEK MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB - SPRING 2021
The Can Do! funded Miller Creek Mountain Bike club now has over 25 enthusiastic riders. Thank you MC Mountain Bike Coach and this year's Golden Bel recipient, Todd Stengel, for leading this fantastic club!
WOMEN WHO PUT A STAMP ON HISTORY - SPRING 2021
In this art project, Elementary students created oversized postage stamps representing famous women who have made a difference in the world.
WATERCOLOR ART WITH MS. WINTER
Last month's rain was the perfect weather for our elementary student artists to explore the wonder of watercolors with new sets of paints provided through Can Do! funds.
VETERAN'S DAY POPPY ART PROJECT
Ms. Winter shows our students how to create an Impressionist inspired art project in celebration of Veteran's Day. Click the photo below to see her video.
KINDNESS ROCK PROJECT
Our Miller Creek district students are showing that kindness is a beautiful thing through their Kindness Rock Project artworks. Keep an eye out for these wonderful creations in our community.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, our student artists have been learning about various Hispanic artists from across the world. Here are a few of the student's wonderful explorations from each grade.
COMMUNITY HeART Walk May 22 - 31st
THANK YOU for participating in HeARTwalk! Check out our AMAZING student art on display throughout our Miller Creek School District community! We CAN DO!!!
MILLER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL
The students of Miller Creek Middle School's Youth Empowerment Services (Y.E.S.), a Can Do! supported program that encourages community engagement through volunteerism, have been busy helping out during the pandemic. From making masks for seniors, to writing notes and cards of thanks to our first responders and local grocery store workers, these Y.E.S. volunteers are making a difference!
Acrylic "Pour" Painting with Ms. Laura Winter
The art rooms in our district are a wonderful place to learn through experimentation. That spirit continues remotely as our MES students explore the world of acrylic pouring to create some beautiful abstract art.
Part One- Acrylic Pouring Introduction
Music Time with Ms. Brenna Foley & Ms. Amanda Morando
With this time spent at home, we are realizing just how great our pets really are! We thought we'd share this wonderful online music lesson for Kindergarten students. Thank you to both Ms. Foley and Ms. Morando for keeping music alive for our kids.
Music Time with Ms. Foley & Ms. Morando
MARY E. SILVEIRA ELEMENTARY
Students collaborated with Ms. Winter, before schools closed, for this creative project using recycled plastic bottles!
VALLECITO ELEMENTARY
These great pieces of art were made by the student artists at Vallecito before the school closures. Mr. Newman taught a multi-grade lesson inspired by The Dot by Peter Reynolds.
MILLER CREEK COMMUNITY
Another beautiful story of kindness from our community. KRON 4 News is honoring Tristan Fletcher-McBride as a local hero for his uplifting acts of kindness by creating "rocks of hope" and cards with well wishes for his neighbors. Tristan was inspired by a project he did in his art classroom as part of a school-wide art project to be kind to one another. To see the full story go to:
www.kron4.com/fatures/kron4-heros/6-year-old-boy-uplifts-community-with-hand-painted-rocks-of-hope/
VALLECITO ELEMENTARY
This awesome idea of a neighborhood "alphabet hunt" came from Mrs. Nadelberg, one of our wonderful Kindergarten teachers at Vallecito Elementary. "Make a letter of the alphabet out of paper. Big enough to be seen from the street if you hang it in a window or put it on your garage. As our kids take walks, we can look for the letters together". Thank you Mrs. Nadelberg for coming up with this fun idea to remind us that even though we can't visit - we aren't alone and can make something fun together!
MARY E. SILVEIRA ELEMENTARY
Art doesn't need to be created with special paints. Here are some wonderful examples from M.E.S. students using coffee. Thanks to Ms. Winter for providing creative projects for our students and parents!
MARY E. SILVEIRA ELEMENTARY
Remote learning isn't stopping the incredible student artists at Mary Silveira. Thank you to Ms. Winter for sharing the Famous Portrait challenge.
MILLER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL
The garden club has been very busy this spring! Working with coordinator Nina Cunnan, the students have been creating benches from recycled tree trunks, planning spring plantings and making delicious sauteed greens- fresh from the garden! Can Do! is proud to support these student's effort to become good stewards of the environment.
MARY E. SILVEIRA ELEMENTARY
thank you goes to Laura Wilson, our MES Art Teacher ! Your support to the Can Do! Family Giving Campaign makes the art program possible.
All grade levels have been working with clay to create candies for a school wide collaboration of the biggest box of chocolates ever!
Our third graders recently completed these ceramic donuts...
