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P A S T C O U R S E S Acrylic Painting Rosalia Verdun Join us for an introduction to acrylic painting. We will learn how to sketch and draw on canvas, to understand composition and focal point, and to embrace color value with light and dark. We will then apply paint to canvas, while experimenting with color choice and working from still life, learning to look at landscape, and creating the abstract. Each of us will find our own individual artistic voice at our own speed at our own easel in a supportive, spacious environment. All skill levels welcome. Acrylic Painting II Paul Deroo For those who have taken Acrylic Painting I, and would like to continue exploring their artistic vision. All About Flight Claudia Andreski Come learn how to fly high with our air and flight hands-on experiences. Learn about Bernoulli’s principle by designing airplanes, helicopters, and parachutes that demonstrate all of the forces involved in flying. Read about the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, and Charles Lindbergh. Art, Animals, and Assemblage Laura Brown Taking our cue from sculptor August Gaul, we will create our own animals, real and/or imagined. We will then assemble diorama habitats from selected found objects. Learn to think critically about art, then respectfully and tactfully communicate ideas. Please bring a shopping bag full of junk materials (toilet paper roles, old clothes, etc.) to the first class. Art Around the World Joy Lara Travel the globe through a mixed media experience drawing on the richness of world cultures. Each class will introduce both geographical and cultural facts & artifacts of the country we are visiting. Our budding artist-ethnographers will learn about distant lands by exploring their traditional crafts, theater, music and other aspects of life as they actively work on acrylic and watercolor painting, collage, drawing, and sculpture. Each session will focus on a different geographical area of the world. Building Structures Laura Segedin How tall can you build it? How strong will it be? Students will explore the fundamentals of building through hands-on challenges. Topics include material choice, tool use, parts of a structure, and forces. This course is great for students who like to work with their hands. Chemistry of Cooking Jenny Lichtenwalner Calling all foodies! What happens when food gets cooked? Why do some foods taste sweet, while others are spicy? How do ingredients interact with each other? If you’ve ever pondered these questions, then this is the class for you. We will explore, cook, taste, and critique our way through new dishes. Bring your appetite for learning! Cooking Adventures Chad Ciferri Come on a trip around the world in this fun-filled culinary adventure class. We may travel to India to learn about the history of curry, visit areas of South America to explore the vast array of flavors found there, and travel back in time to the continental USA to explore the roots of traditional BBQ styles. All while developing our palates with a greater understanding of food origins, history, world view and preparation. This course is designed to help young chefs explore cuisines while safely and hygienically building basic skills in the kitchen such as slicing, dicing, chopping, sautéing, and more! Computer Animation Jennifer Serzan Students will start with the basic flip book and zoetrope to gain a better understanding of the illusion of movement in animation. We'll use claymation, cut paper movies and online computer animation sites. Computer Animation II. Jennifer Serzan. For students who have taken Computer Animation I only. Creative Dramatics. Donna Stein. We will engage in CREATIVE DRAMATICS, acting out situations without set lines or future performances. Our focus will be developing performance skills as children learn to express themselves verbally and physically. In the process, we will be creating experiences that encourage them to analyze situations, think on their feet, and work with other children in a group. Our classes will include theater games, improvisations, and acting our stories. Creative Yoga Mary Roth, yoga instructor Walk like a dog, slither like a snake and breathe like a dragon. Each week we will experience yoga through a new story adventure. At the end of the session we will work together to create and share our own unique yoga classbased on a children's book of our choice. Participants will be introduced to age appropriate yoga postures, breathing and relaxation techniques. Digital Photography: Seeing the World in a New Light Connie Pinkowski Learn how to explore the world through a camera lense and capture it. Each class we will introduce a different technical or artistic aspect of photography, the creative thinking behind it, and then begin to create photographs with it. Some topics to be covered are: aperture, f stop, shutter speed and white balance, as well as composition, viewpoint and lighting. The course will culminate with a friends and family art show at our last class meeting on Monday, 11/19. Each student must bring a digital camera, batteries and a memory card to class. All other materials will be provided. Digital Photography I. Jennifer Serzan Photography is an interactive and creative art that enables us to see and explore the world. Looking through a camera lens, we can capture, save and then manipulate images to create our own new worlds and/or tell a story of what we have seen. Each class we will introduce a different technical or artistic aspect of photography. Some subjects to be covered are:
Each student must bring a digital camera (not a phone please), batteries and a memory card to class. All other materials will be provided. Digital Photography II. Jen Serzan. For students who have taken Digital Photography I only. Drama Basics Mike Altmann Do you like being the center of attention? Do you watch TV and movies and think, “I can do that.” Then come to Drama Basics and learn about the acting, improvisation, and characterization. Drawing I: wings, stings, and crawling things. Jennifer Serzan. Welcome to the world of shape, design, pattern, free sketching and ... insects! We will look through our electronic microscope to see how even the smallest bugs are built, how they move, what patterns nature has given them, and capture their images digitally. We will then begin to understand how to create their forms on paper ourselves, manually using graphite and charcoal, through a series of fun exercises and creative work sessions. Keyboarding: Learn to Type! Jen Serzan Don’t know how to type? Come learn how and have a great time doing it! We will use both classic and new methods to get your fingers flying across the keyboard as fast as your thoughts. The optional March 17 class meeting will be especially fun - it's a speed typing competition for all grade levels! Living Math Claudia Andreski No problem! DO the MATH! It’s EVERYWHERE! Come join us for an adventure in math. We will learn about numbers, measurement, algebra, geometry, patterns, and probability through hands-on experiences. Have you heard of Fibonacci? Would you like to build a cubic yard? Did you know that X and Y are not just letters – they can be variables, too? Come join us for fun lessons that call for teamwork and group problem solving. GO MATH! It really is everywhere! Mathletics. Jill Johnson. Come and play with us! See how playing sports can open our eyes to the world of mathematics. It has been proven that physical exercise benefits the brain. We will do geometry yoga and calculus exploration on the playground, so bring your pencil and graph paper, but wear your sneakers and sports clothes! We will explore 3 dimensional spaces, angles that the body can create, and so much more! Athletes of all levels are welcome. Knowledge of multiplication helpful, but not required. Tuesdays 3:15-4:15. Grades 3-5, 1 and 2 by permission. Mountain Biking Physics: Ride Outside! Sheryl Stride in cooperation with Hilltop Bicycles. Join us for some fun in the woods on your bicycle! Come learn about the forces that make you go and make you slow. Then learn how to use these forces while riding your bike through the wooded trails of Tamaques Park. Come prepared with your bicycle (in working order) and helmet for 6 one-hour sessions of fun and sun. Particular attention will be paid to momentum and friction. Maximum 12 student riders off of training wheels. One lead instructor, 3 cycling mentors. Yes, that's a ratio of 3:1. Night, Light, and Everything in Between Laura Brown, art educator Working with oil pastels, black tempera paint, and orange scratch sticks, students will learn to layer light and play with night. Come paint, wash, and scratch your way around the world with Chagall, Van Gogh and Jasper Johns. Paper and Origami Exploration Joy Lara Origami is the art of Japanese paper folding.Students will make fun, interesting and increasingly complex figures like animals, planes, and flowers, all the while delving further into geometry, Japanese history & culture, and its application in science and technology. This course is open to all levels of experience, but students will work in groups according to their skills as evaluated in the first class meeting. Beginner Level: Little or no origami experience, but students should demonstrate an ability to focus, follow multiple instructions, work independently, and make precise folds. Intermediate Level: Must have some folding experience and the ability to focus and consistently make precise, neat folds. Students will demonstrate knowledge of and skill at making basic origami folds such as the mountain & valley folds and reverse folds. Must be able to work independently and to follow more advanced instructions. Modular Origami Charlotte Lee Origami is the art of Japanese paper folding from a single sheet of paper. Modular origami is paper folding from multiple pieces of the same unit that are assembled together to form interesting geometric shapes. In this class students will make simple modular origami models ranging from with a 2-piece model to a 12 piece model, all the while delving further into geometry, Japanese history & culture, and its applications in science and technology. This course is open to all levels of experience, but students will work in groups according to their skills as evaluated in the first class meeting. Papermaking Jennifer Serzan Come see who’s been making paper for how long, where they’re from, and what they've been doing with it. Then learn the fine art of papermaking using everything from leftover scraps to fancy feathers and gemstones. Roll up your sleeves and wear old clothes, because we’ll be mixing pulp, embedding, embossing, layering and experimenting! SCRATCH: Computer Coding Level I. Jen Serzan and Vivek Sreenivasan Ever wonder how a computer works? Want to learn how to make programs for a computer? In this course, we will learn how to create animations, computer games, and interactive projects using Scratch, an easy to learn programming language. We will apply our problem solving skills and artistic abilities to accomplish various tasks. At the end of the course, we will present our projects to peers and parents. introduction to Portraiture Rosalia Verdun Are you fascinated by faces? Do you find yourself sketching your friends and doodling in class without realizing it? Then come learn how to capture the human head and all its parts on paper. We will study, stare, and draw with charcoal sticks in order to understand the structure of the face, as well as how light and shadow interact with our chins, noses, ears, and much more at our own easel in a supportive, spacious environment. Spring Gardening. Maria Miranda Henkel, Master Gardener. Learn how to grow your own healthy plants from seeds, craft beautiful and useful creations with nature, and find out what to do with what’s left over. Get outside, dig in the dirt and watch your garden grow. Learn about the lifecycle of blooming and fruiting plants, bugs that can help or attack them, and how to produce a healthy bountiful harvest. Topics covered include: gardening basics, proper use of tools, composting, living crafts, and ecology. Fashion Illustration Future Fashionistas Fashion illustration is a fun and creative way for students to begin to explore the world of fashion design. We will work through the process of creating a fashion collection, learning the basics of developing inspiration boards, from basic fashion forms to actual collection designs. A truly authentic process in the world of fashion design. Why Buildings Stand Up Jeff Robbins Based on the work of Mario Salvadori and David MacCauley, we will examine not only how the structures we live, work and learn in are built, but also explore why they are built that way. Experimenting with different materials, we will learn first-hand about force, compression, tension, shear and twist while building our own structures. Musical Tales Dr. Theodore K. Schlosberg You have a musical child, know how beneficial learning an instrument is for his/her cognitive development, but don’t know which instrument would be best or how to approach the issue. Let Dr. Theodore Schlosberg, Directorof NJ Workshop for the Arts and one of the best in the business, introduce you and your child to the4 instrument families by teaching both of you how to play. Together in class and at home. By the end of thisseven-week course, you and your child will have sampled the snare drum, flutaphone, violin, cello, clarinetand trumpet. In addition, you will learn to use rhythm, pitch, note reading, diaphragmatic breathing and memorization. MOREmini Snowflakes Dorrie Ross Where do snowflakes begin? How do they get their shapes? Is it true that no two snowflakes are really alike? Join us as we investigate these fascinating crystals! We will delve into the science, math, and art of snowflakes through various hands-on activities and projects. Let it snow! MOREmini Calligraphy and Illuminated Letters Margaret Collins Create a colorful and imaginative illuminated letter by following in the footsteps of the monks of the middle ages or by inventing your own modern design using elements of calligraphy, drawing and painting. We will learn about calligraphy throughout the ages and study amazing examples of illumination such as can be found in the Book of Kells and other extraordinary books from around the world. Produce a masterpiece suitable for framing! Writing Games I Marina Kennedy Come play with words! We will deliver the daily news, put our words to the rhythm of music, play word association, and try our hand at prose and free verse. We'll create stories as a group and think up descriptive captions for popular cartoons. We'll dream of scenerios and expand all our great ideas in a relaxed, positive learning environment. Students will be encouraged to express themselves in both written and oral formats, because great thinkers become great writers. All skill levels welcome. Journalism Marina Kennedy What’s the story, where is it, and how are you going to tell it? We'll cover current events, sports, fashion, pop culture, and anything else newsworthy. We'll sharpen our interview skills, learn to create and use a press packet, write a concise engaging article, prepare an editorial, and make the most of photo opportunities when covering a story. We'll read newspapers, magazines and periodicals to sharpen our skills, learn to discern fact from opinion, and form journalistic best practices. Topics will concentrate on each student's individual interests so that a journalism portfolio can be created during the session. Beginning and Continuing Keyboard Christina Toulios Absolute beginners are invited to embark on a musical journey. Together we will learn proper piano posture and technique while playing simple songs on the piano. We will build a solid foundation for learning any musical instrument with introductory music reading and theory while playing games. At the end of the 8 weeks, students will put on a mini recital for family and friends, demonstrating what they have learned during the course. There will be one head instructor, two assistants/mentors, and six students per 1/2 hour section. Bugs, Soil and Seeds Karen Brown Berk What makes an earthworm happy? What is dirt and soil? How do I make a fairy/gnome garden? Come and explore the answers to these and many other garden questions. We'll have fun brainstorming, exploring and creating while learning new things. Investigating Artifacts Esther Van Riper, Westfield Gifted and Talented coordinator/instructor Much of our knowledge about early human cultures comes from studying the objects they left behind. Through the completion of a series of creative and hands-on activities students will learn about the role of masks and myths in Native American and world cultures. Students will be introduced to the ways archaeologists and anthropologists investigate the past as they excavate tabletop archeological sites, classify artifacts, and make inferences about their possible use. Millinery: Make a Hat! Rosalia Verdun Do you like hats and to experiment with design, pattern and color? Why not learn how to make one! Come discover the many different types of hats that have been worn through the ages all around the world from military helmet to haute couture, beret to baseball cap. We will then choose our design and create our own hat from beginning drawing to finishing flourish. Technology, Finance, and Travel. Esther Van Riper. Interested in travel? Love using technology? Want to learn more about personal finance? Then this is the course for you. Students will first estimate a budget centered on a trip of their choice. Research will then be conducted on the chosen destinations with the objective being to create a fun filled 3-day itinerary for a family of 4. Students will learn how to utilize software to create spreadsheets and presentations to organize, calculate and visually depict the data gathered. In the end the children will learn just how much it will cost to make their dream family vacations a reality! Toys: dream, design and invent! Leslie Wallant. Come explore toys from the ancient past, see our favorites of the present, and design and create prototype toys of the future. Brainstorm an invention idea then develop it, while learning basic sketching skills. Then draw more polished color drawings or “renderings” of our toy’s parts, views, and function. Then we’ll bring our ideas to life using clay, sticks, pipe cleaners, and whatever we can “repurpose” from old broken toys (just like the real Toy companies do). Finally, we’ll test our toy inventions and discuss our results: find others, let them play, and see how much fun we can create! Video Brendan Hickey In a 21st century classroom, students are expected to express their ideas in many forms. In this course, students will learn to use visual and auditory technology, found in many modern homes, to express these ideas. We will view examples and explore our creativity in an enthusiastic environment, and working together, we will learn the basics of video editing while creating our own short pieces. Winter and Spring Knitting Jennifer Owens and Mark Gillespie Create something amazing with yarn and knitting needles! Students will learn how to make geometric shapes with yarn through shaping, and complete basic projects including headbands, fingerless mitts and bracelets. We will also explore the historical background of knitting, both organic and synthetic fibres, and the origins of classic design styles such as the Aran “fisherman” sweater. We will master basic knitting terminology and begin work with a variety of yarn and needle sizes. No prior knitting experience is needed. Write MORE! Liz Kingsley. Want to have fun with writing? We’ll learn how to tell colorful, imaginative, and inventive stories through a wide variety of activities involving music, plays, drawing, stories, and poems. We’ll write about subjects both serious and silly, and we’ll discover how much we have to say about ourselves and about the world. We’ll also share our stories with each other and our community. New students welcome, and returning students should expect to be challenged. Write Times Marina Kennedy, creative writing instructor Students will explore various genres of creative writing. These will include short stories, poetry, writing for advertising, journalism, and speech writing. This course is presented as a workshop where students will present and discuss their pieces and popular texts. |
