“Giftedness is not what you do or how hard you work. It is who you are. You think differently. You experience life intensely. You care about injustice. You seek meaning. You appreciate and strive for the exquisite. You are painfully sensitive. You are extremely complex. You cherish integrity. Your truth-telling has gotten you in trouble. Should 98% of the population find you odd, seek the company of those who love you just the way you are. You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. You are utterly fascinating. Trust yourself!”

Linda Silverman~Gifted Development Center Denver


Sunday 23 June 2013

Graduation Ideas Updated


Last year, when I was just brand new to blogging, I wrote a post about what I do for graduation each year.  I was not quite as camera crazy as I have been since, so I didn't have any pictures of the actual finished project.  Well this year, I made sure I took l pictures so I could show you what the process and the finished product looks like.

In my post from last year I discussed how I had purchased the black silhouettes from a party store, and had the students add their own pictures to create a personal collage.  


Well, you can't find those silhouettes for love nor money here in Toronto, so I had to improvise.  I made templates with one of the remaining silhouettes I did have and then I gave each student a quarter page of large black poster board I had cut on the paper cutter.  


Each student traced the silhouette and cut it out prior to adding the photos, pictures and images they had brought from home.  They cut pictures out of magazines or used online images.  Some even drew their own pictures.







Silhouette templates and the stars I bought and have used each year.  The students get to keep the silhouette after the graduation ceremony, but I collect the stars and use them again the following year.


Tracing the template onto a quarter piece of black poster paper.  I was able to make four for the cost of buying one!






I asked the students to carefully plan out how they would fit their name on the scroll.  We determined the scroll was 24 cm long and 3 cm wide.  The names were much more visible when they made each letter at least 2.5 cm high and 2 cm wide.


Students decorated with images that were personal to them. 
I bought some stickers to add embellishment if the students wanted to use them.  Here is Cathy's finished silhouette prior to being mounted on the metallic star.

Cathy's finished silhouette.  


The grade six classes will put up their stars
in the gym to help decorate for the ceremony next week. 


I use Mavalus tape to help make sure everything stays in place.  If you haven't heard of this tape, you should find some, it will keep almost anything on the wall, even through humidity and wind!

2 comments:

  1. What a nice project for your kids! Great idea! And, I've never heard of that tape, but in Florida we have the worst humidity and everything falls off the walls! Can't wait to try!
    Joanne
    Head Over Heels For Teaching

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  2. Thanks Joanne! Mavalus tape is a godsend! Costs an arm and a leg but so totally worth it! Will resist humidity, air conditioning, fans blowing, general mayhem! I used to dread putting up heavier things like this project, but not when I know I have my trusty Mavalus tape!
    Sidney

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