skip to main content

Current News

Kindergartners Create Still-Life Paintings

Park Avenue School students thumbnail256547
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256548
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256549
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256550
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256551
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256552

Park Avenue Elementary School kindergartners, who studied the works of artist Paul Cezane, created their own paintings of apples in still life. Under the guidance of their art teacher Heather Temple, the students used tempura paint and applied the elements they had been learning about throughout the school year, including creating patterns, designs and use of line.

“In the beginning of the school year, their artwork is not as formed and not fully completed,” Temple said. “It’s nice to see the progression of growth to get to an almost fully rendered image. I mostly hope the students can name the elements they used to create their work, along with the name of the artist and the materials they use.”

Date Added: 3/21/2024

Park Avenue First Graders Celebrate Cultures

Park Avenue School students thumbnail256345
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256350
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256351
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256352
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256353
Park Avenue School students thumbnail256354

In the spirit of Read Across America, the first grade teachers at Park Avenue School created an engaging theme week to celebrate different genres of literature. Among these captivating themes was the celebration of multiculturalism. Throughout the week, both students and educators dressed in vibrant attire, emblematic of different cultures from around the globe. The students participated in hands-on projects, from creating art pieces to reading stories, and learned about different cultures while showcasing their own heritage.

Date Added: 3/18/2024

Students Draw Giraffes as Part of Ecology Study

Park Avenue Elementary School students thumbnail256248
Park Avenue Elementary School students thumbnail256253

Park Avenue Elementary School kindergarten and first grade students in teacher Vanessa Mojica’s class drew upon their knowledge of animal adaptations to create sketches of giraffes, emphasizing their long necks.

Mojica said the students have been learning about different animals, including giraffes, who live in the hot and dry savanna, and investigating how they’ve adapted to their environment to survive within their ecosystem. Taking on the roles of ecologists, the students considered how the animals get food or what helps the animals get their food.

“The students learned that giraffes use their long necks to help them reach leaves in the tall acacia trees,” Mojica said. “They also learned about many animals throughout our lessons, and a key takeaway was to understand how it would look to draw a giraffe, being the tallest animal in the world.”

Date Added: 3/14/2024

Fifth Graders Create 3D Nameplates

Students monitoring a 3D printer. thumbnail255990
Students monitoring a 3D printer. thumbnail255991
Students monitoring a 3D printer. thumbnail255992
Park Avenue Elementary School fifth graders have been enhancing their 3D design and printing skills as part of a project in technology and enrichment teacher Lauren Dykstra’s classes. Using Tinkercad, they created their own individual nameplates and watched their work come to life.

“They followed the same parameters but were encouraged to be creative and implement design thinking techniques,” Dykstra said. “Each nameplate is unique, just like our children.”

Date Added: 3/8/2024

First Graders Publish Books on Animals

Students sitting on the carpet in their classroom. thumbnail255890
Complete with illustrations and fact-based, informative writing, Park Avenue Elementary School first graders crafted and published their own books on animals.

Throughout the project, the students gained valuable research skills as they worked in groups to explore animals of their choosing – from frogs to snakes, bats, wolves, big cats and elephants. They also delved deep into the writing process and built upon their reading and writing skills. The first graders created their treasured keepsakes and published them through the Studentreasures’ student publishing program.

“The students created a class book featuring original writing pieces and illustrations of each student in the class,” Principal Rosa Taylor said. “Our focus was on scientific drawings with labels and fact-based, informative writing. The students were so proud to see their work published in a real book, and families were able to order copies as well.”

Click here to view the photo slideshow.

Date Added: 3/6/2024