Craft and Design- Photo Opportunities

How the term has flown! We have had such lovely lessons full of creativity and self reflection. We started off the term by completing our Street Art unit, thinking about a topic that is close to our hearts. Then relaying that in a piece of art. The childrens use of colour and subtle messaging is superb.

We have now moved onto a touch of photography. We have worked to a design criteria to create a photomontage advert for a department store using a landcape design. Then we have experimented with Macro photography, where the children got up close to some fruit and veg, then trying to guess what the image is! They have explored how to add filters into their photography for effect. We will be continuing this unit after the holiday before turning our attention to memory boxes and “Come Dine with Me Forest School Style!”

Drawing – Expressing Ideas.

Time flies when you’re having fun! The children have really gotten into this topic! We have thought about what the difference is between Street Art and Graffiti, not only in design but in legal terms. We have had the opportunity to explore the street art in Blackpool and have thought about what their story is. The children have created depth and distance by having a go at one point perspectives and vanishing points, along with scaling up using a grid. Using their new found knowledge, the children have planned a piece of work inspired not only by street art, but also an Ecological topic that is close to their heart and feel strongly about. We will continue with this after the half term. They have really shone out and have challenged themselves every step of the way. Well done Year 6!

Next half term we are turning our focus to Photography and Memories.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Electrical Circuits- Steady Hand Game

How time flies when you’re having fun! This half term, we have been analysing and evaluating toys. What makes a good toy and what age range they felt they were for. We have designed and made a steady hand game to fit their self-planned design criteria. As you can imagine, thirty buzzers going off as they tested their circuits was very enjoyable!! Resilience was definitely tested as we transferred the circuits into the small box with them being so fragile. Unfortunately, I am unable to send these home with a working circuit, however, you can purchase them on Amazon for £5.99 if you wish to do so.

Next half term we will be turning our attention to Drawing, where we will be looking at street art.

Lytham Heritage Centre- I have collected some of your children’s artwork from over the school year to display at the exhibition. Please do pop along to have a look. I would have loved to have displayed a piece from each child, but unfortunately, space would not allow!!

I will however, be launching a new art project in readiness for the Young Seasiders competition, to be displayed at the Blackpool and Fylde College. Where your child can enter if they wish to do so. Details to follow….

Have a lovely half term break,

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas!

Painting and Mixed Media and Electrical Systems.

It has been so lovely to share our thoughts and opinions on varying artists. Sometimes thinking about very tricky topics, with each topic and artist, the children have shown such maturity and depth in responding to these. The children chose their artist of inspiration, the media of which to use and a topic to base their artwork on. The results were super! Well done children!

We have now turned our attention to Design Technology and electrical systems, where they have been planning a steady hand game, ready to make in the Near Year.

We will then be moving onto Drawing.

Have a Happy and Holy Christmas

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Food Technology – Come Dine with Me- Forest School Style!

 I cannot believe how quick this term has flown, let alone the year! We had a wonderful time this half term designing a collaborative three course meal to prepare and cook on the campfire. The children used all their previous learning to create a healthy, balances meal for their peers. As a half class group, they all worked superbly together supporting not only with their dish, but to help with the other dishes as well.  This was very much a first here at Our Lady’s and what a huge success it was! I cannot thank the children enough for their enthusiasm and maturity throughout the process.

A huge thank you goes to Miss Lavelle for assisting and coordinating the campfire cooking! It has been such a joy and a pleasure to teach Art and DT with your children this year. They have been so enthusiastic with their learning and have turned their hand to a myriad of skills and techniques this year. Thank you so much for your support. Year 6 are an amazing group of children. I with them all the very best as they embark on their next creative journey.

Have a wonderful Summer

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Electrical Systems- Steady Hand Game

How quick this half term has flown! In design technology this term, we have used our scientific knowledge of electrical systems to aid us with our topic. Through exploration of toys, we have thought about a product being fit for purpose, its function, aesthetics and target audience prior to the planning process. The children used their mathematical knowledge to produce a base made from nets. Then added their electrical system that included a buzzer. I am sure you can imagine the noise level within class as each child became successful in their task, producing a working toy!  

Next half term, we turn our attention to Food Tech, where they will plan a nutritious three course meal in groups. We have an added twist this year where they will be cooking it all in Forest School. Miss Lavelle and I are really excited to be doing this and cannot wait to see what they come up with! Your class teacher will let you know in advance what ingredients your child will need for their session. 

Have a lovely May half term break, 

God Bless 

Mrs Mather 

Artist Study and Steady Hand Game

This half term, the children completed their artist study topic. We have looked at a variety of artists, their style and their inspirations for their pieces. The children then went on to complete this unit by choosing an artist for inspiration to produce a piece of art. This could be a narrative piece, a message or a topic close to their heart and in any media they wished to use, be water colours, water based paint, oil pastels, or pencil work.  The results were amazing, and the varied styles and ideas were wonderful! Well done Year 6 for producing some great work! We then moved onto our electrical systems, where the children have looked at different toys and thinking about function, form and fit for purpose features. They have gone on to producing a steady hand game using their own design criteria and specifics. This topic will be completed after the holidays.

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Michelangelo

I cannot believe we have arrived at the end of the second half term! What a wonderful term it has been, as we switched our attention to Design and technology and structures. We have had such fun experimenting and exploring a range of techniques with a plethora of tools to create a model playground. From joining various materials using different techniques and resources to construct 5 different apparatus using three different structural methods. We have learned that a structure needs to be; strong, stiff and stable ( the three S’s) to be a viable structure, along with it being safe and aesthetically pleasing. I was blown away with the fact that some of their structures had moving parts, as this was not part of the design criteria To finish the term, the children grouped together and designed and made a Nativity Crib for each class in school. They were truly beautiful and the teachers were so touched by their gesture.

I cannot wait until the New Year, where we turn our attention to Painting and Mixed- Media.

Have a wonderful, magical, Holy Christmas

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Make My Voice Heard!

This half term, we have been exploring an array of artistic influences. From Mayan art to Street art and Chiaroscuro, we have studied how, through art, we can make our voice heard. We have looked at how symbols within art can have an impact and how powerful these can be and come up with their own symbols to represent themselves. Using their knowledge and skills learned throughout the term, they will complete their own artistic piece after the half term break. It has been wonderful to watch they children grow in their artistic talent and I cannot wait to see how they will develop this further through the year!

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” – Pablo Picasso

In year 6 this term we looked at Ancient Maya to modern-day street art, children look at how artists convey a message through art, we explored how imagery, symbols can be. we have learnt the technique ‘chiaroscuro’ and where is comes from (Italian - chiaro= light scuro=dark).

Artists considered audience and impact to create powerful drawings to make their voices heard and were commissioned(with sweets) by me tp create a piece of art work using all techniques learnt through out this module and to send a message to others of something that they’re passionate about.

" The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." - Aristotle

In year 6’s food tech we did our own version of “Come and Dine with me”.

Chefs entered a draw and we had two groups making Starters, Mains and desserts. In each session two judges were draw for a taster of the meals cooked and a score given to the team.

The chef’s had some key ingredients for their meals, peppers for starters, salmon for mains and pineapple for desserts. The chefs were encouraged to research online for recipes with thses ingredients. The results were amazing, everything looked delicious and smelled amazing.

Well done year 6 on completing the challenge.