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Arts & Entertainment

Reflections thru Mosaics at Islander Middle School

Sixth graders at Islander Middle School combine artwork and creative writing to reflect upon their lives.

If you haven't yet ventured to the Library to see the beautiful mosaics on display, make sure you do so this week!

This Friday, April 29, is the last day the nearly 300 mosaics and creative writing pieces created by sixth graders will be on display.

As part of their grade-level Ancient Cultures curriculum, 6th grade students designed, planned, sketched and created mosaic tiles in the theme, A Reflection of Yourself.

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More than a simple art project, the mosaic project is a multi-disciplinary project including a Language Arts component of creative writing accompanying each mosaic.Β  The writing serves as a vehicle for the students to reflect upon their mosaics, and at times, their lives. Some students chose to write poems, while some tell stories, and others explain the process. According to co-principal :

"The beauty in these art pieces shine on the surface, but a richer learning experience that is creative and introspective is revealed in their writing."

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Budzius says that the project has grown tremendously over the years, and what she appreciated the most this year was "the personal connection to the projects," adding "It was very cool."

Several sixth grade math classes were also involved in the project by successfully calculating the quantity of supplies required for completion of the project.

The mosaics and reflections, made possible by the financial support of the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), and coordinated by IMS academic counselor Tina Meade and parent volunteer Christine Unutzer, are on display at the IMS Library until Friday April 29th.

Unlike previous years, this year's mosaic projects will go home with students and will not be a part of Islander Middle School's permanent collection, so make sure you check it out before they're "history"!

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