Art Smarts at St. Mary’s Elementary school

At St. Mary’s Elementary there was an Art Smarts program. Every class and everyone did that program and that program was all about Mother Nature. St. Mary’s learned some songs about water. Becca Sharr and Heidi Dixon were the ones teaching the Arts Smarts program. On Friday June 2nd, 2017 there was an art show at 2 p.m. during school time. The show was really cool! We got to see everything that the other people did including our own. At the first half of the show we sang some songs about water. The second half of the show we showed our parents all the crafts we did in the Art Smarts program. During the Art Smarts program the teachers who were teaching the art smarts program taught us about inuksuks because that day we got to make our own inuksuk out of clay. The inuksuks are meant for guiding the north and meant for showing where there is a good place to hunt and if you look through the hole there is another inuksuks.

The primary students made these things in art:

Talking sticks with a piece of real seal skin, 10 beads, 2 feathers, a stick and a piece of hide

Bracelets with 2 feathers, beads and a piece of hide

Bracelets with 1 feather, beads and a piece of hide Inuksuk made out of clay The elementary students made these things in art:

Dream catchers were made out of glue, a gold circle and a long piece of string

Feather sticks were made out of feathers, and a piece of hide

Inuksuks were made out of clay

We had a great time learning about the Aboriginal culture. We think that everyone should have the chance to do this Arts Smarts program too. It’s a lot of fun.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Artists Heidi Dixon (left) and Becca Shaw from The St. John’s Native Friendship Centre teach Grade Two students at St. Mary’s Elementary some traditional Aboriginal songs

SUBMITTED PHOTO Artist Becca Shaw helps a Grade 2 student create a talking stick.