Holiday Musical

December 8, 2011

"A Bear-y Merry Holiday"

Performed by Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First & Second Grades

Directed by Mrs. Farthing, the Music Teacher

A Collaboration of the Specialist Team

Contests

Holiday Card, School Tee-Shirt, Festival Stage

Art students have been very excited about the recent drawing and design contests held in the Art Studio. Grades 2nd through 5th created pen and ink drawings to enter in the annual Superintendent's Holiday Card Contest. Grades 3rd through 5th worked on drawings to be entered in a contest for a new school tee-shirt design. Grades 3rd through 5th also designed a possible cover for the Festival Stage Postcard to go out in 2012. The contest theme was "A New Year in Winston-Salem."

Check back for an announcement naming contest winners.

Teacher of the Year Banquets 2011

Annual District Banquet

Annual PTA Banquet

Veteran's Day Program

November 2011

Fall Festival

October 2011

Dixie Classic Fair Winners

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

News Flash: We Won 3 Ribbons at the Fair

Diggs-Latham Art Students had a successful exhibit at the Dixie Classic Fair. We had 23 pieces of art on display in the Annex Building in the School Art Category. The following students won ribbons in this show:

1st Place: Marlen in 5th grade

2nd Place: Hayleen in 4th grade

3rd Place: Magali in 2nd grade

Congratulations to these students!

The Fair Art Exhibit is currently on display in the school lobby.

The First Projects of the Year

Kindergarten: Students in kindergarten are beginning to study line and shape and complete an exercise to assess what they already know about drawing.

First Grade: Students in first grade are studying texture and will create a turtle using crayon resist techniques with watercolor paint.

Second Grade: Students in second grade are making connections with art of other cultures, like traditional art of the African and Australian cultures, to create a pastel drawing. They are also exploring abstract art and creating decorative, ornate lizards.

Third Grade: Students in third grade are studying Russian Babushka or Nesting Dolls and are creating their own stylized version of the dolls by drawing with oil pastels.

Fourth Grade: Students in fourth grade are exploring radial designs and abstract art to create a mixed media composition. They are using the eye as inspiration.

Fifth Grade: Students in fifth grade are studying Op Art or Optical Art and creating mixed media drawings based on what they learn.

The Art Studio

Welcome Back

Today is the first day of school! Diggs-Latham Staff and Students are excited about the 2011-2012 School Year.

In the Art Studio, students are starting the year reviewing expectations based on some school-wide expectations to help us all show our Tiger Pride: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready. Students are also starting their year with a drawing activity in which they begin a drawing and switch papers with a couple other students. Once a student receives his or her paper back, at least 2 other people have added some details to the drawing.

Summer Break

Diggs-Latham Elementary Magnet School for Arts & Global Studies ended the 2010-2011 School Year on June 14, 2011. Staff and students celebrated accomplishments from the year and reflected on all we have learned. Staff and students are excited about the upcoming 2011-2012 school year, which will bring new projects, performances, art exhibits, and a new principal.

Enjoy your summer vacation!

Healing Force

On June 8, faculty and students were excited to host Healing Force for a live concert. The audience was asked to participate by singing, and some students were called to the front to play some traditional, African instruments. Healing Force is a family of four that 'celebrates life' by telling traditional African stories and playing instruments such as drums, shekeres, and thumb pianos. For more information on Healing Force, visit their website here.

Band/Orchestra/Piano Concert: Dress Rehearsal

The Band, Orchestra and Piano students in grade 3rd, 4th & 5th presented a concert this morning at 9:45am to students and teachers. The Concert will be performed for parents and members of the community tonight at 6pm. The Concert theme is Music Under the Stars, and the backdrop of stars was provided by the Visual Art Department.

Home Moravian Church Exhibit

Diggs-Latham Students are excited to have Home Moravian Church as an official partner of the school. To celebrate this partnership, Diggs-Latham students from Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade are exhibiting 40 pieces of art in the Home Moravian Fellowship Hall for the next week. Mrs. Gordon, our art teacher, attended services at Home Moravian on Sunday, May 22 to greet members of the church while they viewed the art at the conclusion of services.

Check back on our blog later for photographs of this student exhibit.

Clay Bowls

Fifth graders are finishing a unit in which they learned the characteristics of clay and used the art medium, clay, along with molds, to create bowls. They used clay tools and other found objects and gadgets to create texture on their bowls. After a bique-firing of the bowls, students glazed their projects and added glass crystals as details. Pictured, students are showcasing their finished, glazed bowls.

The School Dedication

Our dedication ceremony was Tuesday, April 26 at 1pm. Students and staff gathered in the auditorium for a time of celebration as Diggs and Latham, two schools, have officially come together as One School, One Community as Diggs-Latham Elementary Magnet School for Arts and Global Studies. We were honored with words of encouragement and celebration from Mayor Joines and Assistant Superintendent Toni Bigham. Also in the audience and offering words of thanks and encouragement were community partners and special guests, such as Quilla Smith with Friends of Diggs-Latham, and Mr. Shores, our long-time friend, sponsor, and volunteer. We enjoyed music by Reynolds High School Orchestra and our own teachers, Mr. Pilson, Mr. Powelson, and Ms. Ingram. Ms. Ingram sang "Rainbow," a song by Mr. Pilson, while Mr. Pilson accompanied on Piano and Mr. Powelson accompanied on violin. The ceremony ended as Mrs. Wright, our principal, cut a ribbon to honor the official opening of our new school.

Making Backdrops

The Art Studio has been busy, working on individual student projects, as well as creating backdrops and sets for performances and school events.

The Backdrop for Alice's Adventures

The Backdrop for the School Dedication

(The mural is an original painting by Mrs. Gordon, the art teacher.)

UNCSA: Peter & the Wolf

Diggs-Latham students and teachers in grades 3rd-5th enjoyed a wonderful performance this morning of "Peter and the Wolf," by high school and college dance students from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.