MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dear DAA Middle School Families,

We would like to thank you for your flexibility and support during our week of remote learning.  Our teachers were excited to be back on campus and having students in the classroom!  We remain vigilant in our priority to ensure that health protocols are in place.  Teachers are reminding students about social distancing, proper mask usage, and frequent sanitizing of their hands.  With your help at home, we can continue to keep our kids healthy, safe, and on campus!

This week marked the beginning of the 2nd semester.  Students were excited to begin new journeys in their elective courses!  If you have any questions about your courses, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher.  They will be happy to help as students orient themselves to their new classes.

Grade cards for semester 1 will be emailed by the end of the week.  If you do not receive your report card, please contact us at s.hole_daa@gemsedu.com or a.lomas_daa@gemsedu.com.

Math MAP testing will be starting on Feb 7.  Please talk to your children about them and relay the importance of proper testing conditions while learning remotely. We want our students to be able to show what they know and do their very best.  We have already completed Science and Reading, which leaves Math next week and Language Usage the following week.

Middle School Art is proud to present the second Digital Art Exhibition for the year, showcasing the student’s Unit 2 artworks from Semester 1. 

• Grade 8 World Art focused on Mexico and researched five prominent artists; José Aguila,  Diego Rivera, Gabriel Orozco, Leonora Carrington and Frida Kahlo. They selected one artist and appropriated their artwork, to create an original piece. Students could use any art forms and materials they wished. It was fantastic to see such a variety from painting, drawing, digital art, mixed media and sculptures. 

• Grade 8 2D Art focused on the difference between geometric and organic shaped. They took realistic animals drawings and reduced them to geometric forms, then added their own creative flair to complete the final artworks. 

• In Grade 72D Art students appropriated very famous artworks using acrylic paints. They learnt ten new painting techniques and applied as many as  appropriate in their canvas paintings. 

• Grade 6 Quarter 2 Art classes focused on Orphism and the art of Sonia Delaunay. They created their own abstract paintings looking at color and shapes. They also completed a number of Animal Square drawings that focused on cropping and layout. 

Congratulations to all artists that completed their first semester of electives. The artworks are on display in the Middle School and available to view on this Digital Art Exhibition video, enjoy!