Hello from Susan's Creative Expression Class!

Happy Tuesday art-X-press families!  This is Creative Expression teacher, Susan, writing to share all about the incredible group of young artists in my class and the creative adventure we have taken together!

Here's a photo of us, taken this morning after our last class together.  (Thank you to Vocal Workshop teacher Leslie for taking the photo for us!)

 

Over the past four days, we’ve spent about an hour each day together, taking time to reflect on what we’re experiencing and to support each other on our creative journeys.   

We’ve written in our journals.

We've created collages.

We've written poetry and stories.

We created a group story based on a work of art that the students later got to see brought to life at the Pageant of the Masters.

And we listened to some great music while we created. (A special request this morning was a piece that we heard at the Symphony in the Cities, Astor Piazzolla's Libertango).

 We’ve reflected on the experiences from the amazing excursions the students have enjoyed and explored the challenges that each student is facing---and overcoming!

 

I am so proud of the creative risks my students have taken and of how supportive and kind they have been with each other.  On our first day together, we watched a video of Pacific Symphony’s Music Director Carl St.Clair welcoming the students to arts-X-press and letting them know that this a place where we don’t judge each other, but rather support each other’s growth and personal journey.

My class, and all of the students at arts-X-press, have truly embraced Carl’s message and have created a warm and nurturing creative space where each can thrive.  But of course, I have an especially special place in my heart for my amazing group of thirteen creative and brilliant young people who have taught me so much this week.  

 Many, many thanks to my fabulous class: Sage, Paige, Megan, Cali, Gavan, Kathleen, Sunny, Kenneth, Ryan, Juliana, Natalie, Jayme, and Bella.  I am going to miss them all so much, but I look forward to seeing all of the amazing things that they will do with their lives in the days, weeks, and years to come!

Parents and Family Members: I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with your incredible children and thank you for supporting them in being a part of arts-X-press.  You have so much to be proud of, and I encourage you to ask your student to share their Creative Expression folder with you when they return home so that you can share in some of the magic they created!

We all look forward to seeing you at the Parent Presentation tonight and I look forward to thanking you in person for sharing your students with us this week!

 A final note to the students, at the end of our last class today: