The Last Week Before Winter Break in the Art Room

The last week of school before Winter Break was full of creativity and celebration in the art room! We wrapped up our Romero Britto lesson, and the students did a wonderful job adding vibrant colors and creating imaginative compositions inspired by this contemporary Brazilian artist. To conclude the lesson, students completed an artist reflection and a fun word search about Britto, and I was thrilled to hear that some even visited one of his stores at the mall to learn more about his art! It’s exciting to know they’re making real-world connections and learning more about this colorful artist.

In first grade, we finished our snowman projects, adding bright colors and decorative backgrounds. The students were incredibly proud of their artwork, and their joy and confidence truly shone through.

I’d also like to give a special shout-out to Emma Cubas and Elena Lopez, who participated in the Magnet Schools of America nationwide competition. Emma’s artwork was selected to advance in the competition—an amazing accomplishment!  She mentioned that she was inspired by Britto to make her artwork! Both students did a fantastic job, and we’re crossing our fingers for the next step 🤞.

Lastly, I want to sincerely thank all the parents for your lovely and thoughtful notes and gifts before Winter Break. Your kindness and support mean so much to me, and I am truly honored by your love and care.

Wishing everyone a restful and joyful Winter Break!

Ending the Year with Bold Creativity: Romero Britto in the Art Room

This week in the art room, I was excited to introduce our new Artist of the Month, a moment the students always look forward to. Before revealing the artist’s name, I like to build curiosity by giving the students a few clues. This time, I described the artist as someone born in Brazil, now living in Miami, who creates colorful, vibrant artwork that can be found all throughout the city. I mentioned that his art appears in public spaces, sculptures, and even stores in many local malls.

It didn’t take long before one student confidently guessed his name. When I finally showed examples of the artwork, the room immediately filled with excitement. One after another, the students exclaimed, “Yes, yes! I’ve seen his art!” It was such a joyful moment to see them make real-world connections and recognize how art exists beyond the classroom walls.

We spent some time learning about Romero Britto, discussing his background, his artistic journey, and his impact on the Miami art scene. To deepen their understanding, I shared a short video about his life and work, which helped bring his story to life and made his art feel even more accessible and inspiring.

Next, we focused on two important vocabulary words: bold and patterns. Britto’s work is a perfect example of both. His art is highly vibrant, filled with bold, contrasting colors, and defined by thick black outlines. The repeated patterns within his compositions create energy, movement, and visual interest, making his style instantly recognizable.

I then showed the students some of my own artwork inspired by Romero Britto, and they absolutely loved it. Seeing an example created by their teacher helped them feel confident and excited about starting their own projects.

Ms Ibert's work inspired by Britto

After all the learning and discussion, it was time for the students to begin their Britto-inspired projects. Second and third graders worked with a winter-themed template, filling their shapes with patterns and using vibrant colors to bring their designs to life. Fourth and fifth graders were challenged to take it a step further by drawing their own objects and transforming them into bold, eye-catching compositions using color, pattern, and strong outlines.

We will be finishing these projects next week, which also marks our final art project of 2025. It’s a wonderful way to wrap up the year—celebrating creativity, color, and confidence—before heading into a well-deserved break. I can’t wait to see the finished artworks and share them with our school community.

A Busy, Creative, and Exciting Week in the Art Room!

This week in the art room was full of different activities as some of our classes worked on catching up—and it was so much fun!

Our 2nd and 3rd graders continued working on their Nutcracker projects. It was wonderful to see the vibrant colors and all the creative decorations they used to design their own unique nutcrackers. Each one had so much personality!

With my first graders, we jumped right into Christmas mode and started working on our holiday cards. They decorated a snowman, then carefully cut it out and saved it so we can finish the project next week. Soon they will be gluing their snowman and decorating the background to complete their festive cards. My first graders are awesome—they are always so excited about art class, and they already can’t wait to be in second grade so they can have a whole hour of art each week!

Some of our other classes focused on learning how to draw an owl using the technique of drawing what they actually see. Students practiced breaking their subject into simple shapes and observing carefully, rather than drawing what they think they know. It was exciting to see their creativity shine through in the new shapes and bold colors they added to their owls.

Other classes were finally able to begin their “Intro to Clay” lesson—and they were beyond excited to try a brand-new material! I promised them that after the assignment, they would be able to use the clay to create whatever they wanted, and that made the experience even more joyful and motivating.

With 4th and 5th grade, we wrapped up our Nutcracker lesson. Some students followed the instructions step by step, while others created their own original nutcracker designs—and the results were truly amazing!

Now, all of our classes are ready to begin our next Artist of the Month project. Students have been eagerly asking, “Ms. Ibert, who is it?” But for now, the mystery continues… they will find out next week!