MDUSD Teachers/CAA Teacher Grant recipients show us their students' art work

Some of our favorite emails arrive throughout the year from MDUSD teachers showing us their students' art work. These teachers received CAA Teacher Grants to fund classroom art supplies, books and arts education materials to create thoughtful and inspiring art projects for their students. Thank you to all the teachers who continue to make art education an important part of your curriculum. We love hearing from you. All our best to teachers and students for the summer and upcoming fall school year. For more information about the CAA Teacher Grant Program, please visit our Community Outreach page.

Stefanie Kay taught crayon and watercolor resist to her dual-language first-graders at Bancroft Elementary, creating self-portraits for spring Open House.

At Gregory Gardens Elementary, Lauren Knabe taught her first-grade students how to draw sunflowers with colored pencils and markers, inspired by Earth Day and botony lessons. She told us, "This project gave students the opportunity to combine creativity with learning as they explored plant parts, growth, and the importance of caring for our Earth. They were so excited to use the new materials, and their artwork truly reflects their enthusiasm and pride."

Jenni Brennan made two personal hand and portrait projects for Open House and Mother's Day at her Silverwood K-1 class, using air-dry clay and watercolor paper.

Nicole Galvan-Goble, school counselor at Wren Avenue Elementary used her Teacher Grant to fund collaborative school-wide mural for 1st-5th-grade students. Titled Wrens Soar By..., the students designed feathers that reflected personal growth, school connection, and community contribution.  One student described the joy of working on the project with fellow students, "I love this and I want to continue doing this forever!"

Monte Garden third-graders had fun making Mother's Day projects with the acrylic paint, stickers and canvas provided by Teacher Grant recipients Carlee Smith and Michaela Villalobos Urias.

Darlene Wehrlie's fourth-graders at Valle Verde Elementary made their own California Seals, tying history, geography, botany and creativity into their air-dry clay project. The completed seals are personal and stunning!

There was a celebration of color at Monte Gardens Elementary, where fourth-graders learned how to make gradient landscapes with warm and cool colors, inspired by artist Ted Harrison. Thank you to Jennifer Johnston, Jennifer Evans and Eleni Cassianos for the beautiful photos of your students' work!