NAME:
Mrs. O'Malley
SCHOOL:
Waterbury Elementary School
CLASS:
Art
SCHOOL PHONE:
630-894-2250
This is my 7th year as a teacher at Waterbury School. I feel so
fortunate to work with such an incredible group of student artists! This
past summer I was busy getting married, traveling to Colorado and Los
Angeles, taking an oil painting class & sailing on Lake Michigan! I love to
create my own artwork during the long summer. My art focuses on mainly
painting, collage, photography, digital imagery and jewelry.
Prior to teaching at Waterbury, I attended Northern Illinois University
where I studied Art Education. I was graduated in May of 2002. In addition
to this, I worked as a head teacher at Kindercare Learning Center for
several years as well as a museum assistant for NIU's Art Museum.
Through the arts….
Students Discover:
*There is often more than one right answer.
*There are multiple points of view.
*School can be fun, playing can be learning.
Students Practice:
*Problem-solving skills.
*Critical thinking skills.
*Art-making skills.
*The language and vocabulary of visual art.
Students Learn:
*To express feelings, with and without words.
*To be self-confident.
*To observe and describe, analyze and interpret.
*To think creatively with an open mind.
*To collaborate with other children and with adults.
*To understand past and present cultures from around the world. The arts
help to preserve and celebrate the cultures of many nations. We learn about
history through the art that civilizations have left behind.
Art is the oldest form of communication known to human beings. It is a
cornerstone of every human civilization & a language that is understood
universally. Knowledge of visual language not only helps us to understand
past civilizations, it can also serve as a tool to assist us in decoding the
messages in contemporary society.
Students at Waterbury will have the opportunity to reflect and respond to
there own unique life experiences by creating their own artwork. They will
understand the language of art and be able to successfully communicate ideas
through art creation. Students will have the chance to make their own mark
on the world through their art!
My hope is that all students find art creation to be a rewarding and fun
process. Every student is a unique individual that, through art, is given a
voice. My main goal is to nurture the ability within all of us to express,
to take risks, to think in original ways, and to believe in oneself.
Students will have hands-on experience with a variety of media and art forms
including clay sculpture, drawing with a variety of tools, mixed media
sculpture, 2D & 3D paper construction, yarn weaving, jewelry, collage,
printmaking, tempera, acrylic and watercolor painting. Most importantly,
students will experience the incredible joy of creating something that
reflects their personality, emotions, and thoughts.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he
grows up.”
Pablo Picasso, painter