Kindergarten Vases

Kindergartners used their prior knowledge, from the first lesson of the year on Art Elements, to design and draw a vase.  They made connections to vases from other cultures and discussed non-objective designs with their teacher.  They are starting to understand the difference between functional and decorative art.  They drew with construction paper crayons and used different lines and geometric shapes to add details.  They cut an organic shape to represent the contours of a vase.

Fall A+ Meeting

Mrs Gordon, our NBCT Art Teacher and A+ Coordinator, recently attended the Fall A+ Meeting on October 7.  To learn more about A+ Schools, visit their website at http://www.aplus-schools.ncdcr.gov/.  A+ schools are Arts-Based Schools.  Yes, we are also a Magnet School, which means we have a theme that drives the school; our theme also happens to be Visual and Performing Arts with a Global Connection.  We have a large number of Specialists who teach these subject areas.  With an A+ School, not only is there an emphasis on Specials and giving students an opportunity to experience as many of the Arts as possible, but the Arts and Core Classrooms have a major integration connection.  The Arts incorporate Common Core and the regular classroom teachers incorporate the Arts.  As our A+ Coordinator, Mrs Gordon communicates between A+ Schools and our school and works closely with the Arts Integration Specialist.  The Fall Meeting was all about integration and how to keep the Arts alive and visible in our schools.

Stand Up, Step Up

October is Anti-bully Month and Violence Prevention Month.  Each year, the school system plans an anti-bully walk at which students and faculty from all over the county "stand up, step up" against bullying.  This year, our art students painted a banner for students to hold as we walked and created posters to hang on the kindness wall.  Our honors chorus also performed.

 

Arts Night Out

For "Arts Night Out," on October 9, 2014, the Arts Team collaborated with administrative intern, Alisha Taylor, to plan a parent night at which parents and students would visit the Arts classroom for a hands on experience.  This would give parents an idea of what their children experience in Specials each day and will help them better understand the great opportunity of having their children attend an Arts Magnet and A+ school.  Students and parents visited the Arts classrooms on a rotation and were able to visit the Music Lab, Art Studio, Dance Studio, Orchestra Room, and Band Room.  We also raffled off a basket of supplies, collectables, and instruments.  It was definitely an enjoyable night of learning, performing and creating.

Music with Ms Farthing

Dance with Miss Stevenson

The Sign in Table and Basket Raffle with Ms Taylor and Mrs Baccari

Art with Mrs Gordon

PE with Mr McNeil

Band with Mrs Thomas

Dixie Classic Fair 2014

We are always excited in the fall for the Dixie Classic Fair Art Exhibit.  This year, we had 23 students with art work in this show.  All grades were represented from kindergarten through fifth grade with a variety of art from still-life drawings to paper masks to non-objective designs and gadget printing.

Literacy Night

On Thursday, September 25, administration, students, and parents gathered for the annual Title 1 Parent Compact Meeting and Literacy Night.  Grade Levels throughout the school planned and presented sessions to parents that taught them skills and strategies on how to help their children with reading.  We also had two sessions in the Arts Wing that discussed literacy: "What in the World is Music Literacy" and "Art Literacy for Everyone."  We discussed Art and Music integration in the classroom as well as reading integration in the Arts Class.  We also discussed how to be "literate" regarding Art and Music Theory.

Specialists/Arts Team

Meet the Arts Team for the 2014-2015 School Year.

Miss Amanda Stevenson: Dance/Drama, Ms. Leslie Batten: Media, Mrs. Zenyth Thomas: Band, Mrs. Lisa Morris: Orchestra, Ms. Ann Farthing: Music Technology, Ms. Jackie Pullen: Technology, Mrs. Amanda Gordon: Art/AIG, Mr. Ross McNeil: Physical Education

2014-2015

Welcome to the 2014-2015 School Year.  We are very excited about the energy and excitement throughout the building.  We are looking forward to a creative and productive year in the Art Department in Art, Music, Orchestra, Dance, Drama, Band, PE, Media, and Technology.

Congratulations

Congratulations are in order for several members of the Arts Team.

Mr John Powelson, our 2013-2014 orchestra teacher, was named our school level Teacher of the Year.

Mrs Amanda Gordon and Miss Amanda Stevenson, our art teacher and dance teacher, were nominated for the A+ Educator of the Year Award through the A+ Schools Program.

School of Distinction

During the 2014-2015, our faculty, students and staff were so honored to receive the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts School of Distinction in Arts Education Award.  This award was given to 5 schools in North Carolina, and this award recognizes the commitment of the school to arts education.  Our magnet program is at the core of all we do here, and our arts programs drive much of what happens at school!  Earning this award was such an exciting time as we were featured on news broadcasts on WXII and WFMY2 as well as covered in stories in the Chronicle, Journal and school system blog.  Pictured above was our Specialists/Arts Team for the 2013-2014 school year.

Spring Extravaganza 2014

The Annual Spring Arts Extravaganza is always a big event during youth art month to wrap up the year.  Teachers prepare a display of art that reflects all the students have been learning and creating throughout the year.  In March of 2014, we were fortunate to have almost 30 students with art work on display in the Spring Extravaganza at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in downtown Winston-Salem.  Several of these students were able to attend the event.

This was the first year that the Extravaganza was sponsored by Modern Automotive.  They juried the exhibit and chose two winners for each level, (elementary, middle and high,) to be awarded as winner or honorable mention for that level.  Our very own Yarixel Reyes was named Honorable Mention Winner for the Elementary School Division for her pastel portrait.

Our school as a whole was awarded 5 gold seals for the exhibit.

Congratulations to all our student artists for their hard work.

Salem College Fine Arts Center Show 2014

Every year in January, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System and Art Department partner with Salem College to hold an elementary student art exhibit and reception in the Salem College Fine Arts Center.  It is one of the most formal events of the year for elementary art students.  We were very excited to have 6 students with art work in this show.  

Below is a sample of student work exhibited in this show.

Dixie Classic Fair

Diggs-Latham was very excited to have 26 students exhibit art in the Dixie Classic Fair this year.  

We won 7 ribbons.  Congratulations to:  

1st Place Winners: Robert Morgan, Laike May and Mayar Eldeeb

2nd Place Winners: Malik Rose and Heidi Rodriguez

3rd Place Winners: Yarixel Reyes and Jeremiah Batista

 

 

Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year

We are excited about a new school year of creating, performing, singing, dancing, and otherwise showcasing our skills and talents in the Arts.  

First of all, meet the Specialists' Team.

Top to Bottom and Left to Right: 

Leslie Batten, Media; Ross McNeil, PE; Jackie Pullen, Technology; Amanda Stevenson, Dance/Drama

Amanda Gordon, Art; John Powelson, Orchestra; Ann Farthing, Music

Community Outreach

Several 4th & 5th grade Art Honors Students recently had the privilege of designing and decorating cards for the SECU Family House.  These cards will decorate the rooms and welcome families as they stay in the SECU Family House.  This house is a friendly, supportive and affordable accomdation for families, caregivers, and patients traveling to Forsyth County for health reasons.  Our students were very excited to be a part of this project.

We created two different designs.

Spring Art Extravaganza

In March, 25 students exhibited original art in the Reynolds Place of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in downtown Winston-Salem.  Congratulations to the following students for having art in this show: 

Kindergarten: Dianee; First Grade: Anna Rosa, Alberto, Katherine; Second Grade: Robert, Christopher, Imani, Eric; Third Grade: Brian, Zion, Oscar, Laila; Fourth Grade: Daquan, Jose, Amparo, De'Shayla, Keishia, Niccolette; Fifth Grade: Mary, Jennifer, Avaloy, Hayleen, Adamaris, Amanda

This exhibit is a culminating exhibit that reflects the skills learned and projects completed in Mrs. Gordon's art class throughout the school year.

Bryan attended the event with his friends and family.

Anna Rosa and Anna Yeli were excited to see the exhibit with their mother.

This exhibit is juried the day before the opening event and gold seals are awarded.  Diggs-Latham students earned 4 gold seals.  Congratulations to the following students whose art work earned a gold seal:

Amparo

Niccolette

Anna Rosa 

 

Daquan

Zumba Tiger Style

 Diggs-Latham 4th and 5th graders recently broke the Guinness Book of World Records current record for the most students doing zumba at one time for a solid 30 minutes.  They joined with 3 other elementary schools downtown, along with classroom teachers, Mr. McNeil, the PE teacher, and Miss Stevenson, the Dance/Drama Teacher.  Honors art students and Mrs. Gordon, the art teacher, created a banner to represent our school, and all students, about 500, signed the paw prints as a promise to "Go Red" and take better care of their hearts in connection with the American Heart Association.

The Black History Celebration

On February 22, 2013, students, teachers, parents, members of the community, business partners, and visitors gathered in the gym for a time of celebrating diversity and the struggles that have been overcome in Black History.  The theme of the day was freedom, togetherness, and celebration of culture and differences.


All visitors were welcomed by many famous African Americans, Rosa Parks, Tiger Woods, Garrett Morgan, and others as Mrs. Washburn's 4th grade class dressed up and performed the wax museum part of the day.

Amanda Gordon, Black History Committee Chairperson, welcomed everyone just before introducing the Master of Ceremonies, 5th grade student, Jahleel Deberry.

Second grade teacher, Solomon Stover, reminded everyone of the significance of Black History Month just before Speech-Language Pathologist, Susan Ingram, sang the Negro National Anthem, "Life Every Voice and Sing."

Keynote Speaker, Linwaun Fulton brought a message of hardwork as he explained his journey through the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system, college at Chapel Hill, and his current position at Wake Forest University.

Deacon McCloud recited a poem, "The Dream," in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and all he accomplished for Civil Rights.

Mr. and Mrs. Damon presented Negro Spirituals as steppers from Winston-Salem State celebrated their heritage as a transition into our student performances.

The Pep Squad, led by Ms Green, Ms Taylor and Mrs Lallave, danced "Pata Pata" just before the honors dance students performed "Our Circle of Life," an original choreographed piece by dance teacher Miss Amanda Stevenson.

The School Honors Chorus concluded our time of celebration and reflection by singing "The Road to Freedom" and "Free at Last" as Music Teacher, Ann Farthing, prepared the entire student body to sing "We Shall Overcome."

The Black History Committee planned the entire month of February as a time of learning, sharing, and expressing through hallway displays, special guests, visitors, and performances to remind students of the unfortunate circumstances of prejudice and injustice in the past.

Students left the assembly understanding that history is everyone's history, and we must learn from our mistakes in the past to try and not repeat them in the future.

For more photos of the Black History Celebration, visit this link: Black History Celebration Photo Gallery