Art and Civics at Don Bosco Technical Academy

At Don Bosco Technical Academy the "Kindness Tree" project in the new "Art Gallery" has grown.

Above:  A photo taken on Feb 26, 2019 with David Myers, WPU K-12 Teacher Candidate

Teachers school-wide have attached brightly colored red, yellow, and green new leaves to the Kindness Tree making the mural not only an artwork but a collaborative civics project. The leaves record good deeds done by Don Bosco students.  Acts of Kindness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, and Caring, are displayed in these leaves.  

These acts have occurred this school year.  

















Above and right:  The Kindness Tree Project began in the fall of 2018

The idea is that the Kindness Tree has become a model for school-wide citizenship.  In addition, Ms. Kaminski, Art Teacher at Don Bosco, has hung other groupings of student generated art works in the stairwell gallery making the space brighter and warmer to pass through for all.

Professional Development Day and the coming "Diversity Quilt" at Don Bosco Technical Academy

On Friday March 1, 2019, during the Paterson Professional Development Day at 

Don Bosco Technical Academy (DB), teachers attended two workshops: a Behavioral Management one given by WPU PIR Robin O'Brien, and an Arts Integration Workshop given by WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras, Art Teacher Patti Kaminski, and Science Teacher Jennifer Post.

PIR Robin O'Brien covered important points about classroom management using reference materials including books and videos.  In addition she presented the teachers with various classroom scenarios to discuss and brainstorm.  In addition, she brought in an example of a former cookbook that will be used as a prototype for the future Don Bosco "Diversity Cookbook" in the works.

Above:  WPU PIR Robin O'Brien presents a Behavioral Management Workshop to DB teachers

In the Arts Integration workshop, Ms. Samaras, Ms. Kaminski and Ms. Post presented teachers with a second concept for DB's "Diversity Day" coming in June 2019: a "Student Diversity Quilt."

Above:  Ms. Kaminski (r.) and Ms. Post (l.) present the "Diversity Quilt" idea to DB teachers

Teachers learned to create diversity squares for a "Teacher Diversity Quilt" by developing their own squares illustrating their many diverse preferences, hobbies, ethnicities, languages, etc. They used colored pencils and markers on pre-cut white paper. The "Teacher Diversity Quilt" which will soon be installed as whole on the first floor of DB.  

Left Ms. Kamiski (l.) with Mr. Karim ESL Bengali Teacher (r.)

Above" Mr. Karim ESL Benghali Teacher (l.) with WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras

Above:  Two WPU teacher candidates also attended this workshop.

Teachers will take this quilt concept back to their classrooms and implement it there with their students.  

Arts Integration for Valentine's Day at New Roberto Clemente

At NRC Ms. Selino and her students created an Arts Integration activity for Valentine's Day combining English Language Arts with Art and Technology.  

First, students learned to write a "Thank You" letter.  They wrote to the entire faculty and staff of NRC thanking them for helping them to learn.

Using Microsoft Publisher they designed Valentine's Day cards to encase the thank-you letters.  Next they created a display in the hallway.

Students hand-delivered these Valentine's to adults thought the NRC school building.