Kids showcase their artistic talents

WATERMAN – Shirley Temple won awards for her acting and tap dancing when she was 5 years old, Mozart made his musical debut at age 4, and Picasso painted “Picador” when he was 8. Students in grades K-5 at Waterman Elementary School showcased their creativity through art, music, and movement at the Out of This World Fine Arts Festival on Thursday, April 24.

The fine arts festival was held at Indian Creek Middle School in Waterman and included a visual arts display and a music and movement program.

The artwork on display included alien pinch pots made from clay, glue batiks, paper robots, and paper molas. The display included two projects from each class, with many of the projects inspired from books read in the classroom.

“The artwork linked a lot of the subjects and curriculum through the Common Core,” art teacher Betty Thuestad said. “It’s nice to have the opportunity to really showcase the art, instead of just having it displayed in a hallway.”

The students had worked on the music and movement routines since January. Each grade’s music performance involved dancing and movement. The third graders created their own acrobatic routines and the fourth graders did an act with a large colorful parachute. The event ended with the entire student body singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

“Events like this are important,” said Sue Jacobson, the school’s music teacher. “Kids need to share what they do and feel like what they are doing in school is important. ...They have so much to offer.”