Spotlight on Schools
First Creek Middle School
From the Webucator, the Tacoma Public Schools newsletter, November 13, 2009:
"The Arts Impact program here at First Creek Middle School has impacted my Learning Resource Center (LRC) students’ learning by bringing math concept to life," said Roselee Sauser, special education teacher. "I am very proud of their work and wanted to share it."
On a recent Friday, a sixth-grade boy who struggles with fine motor skills and low math skills, as well as low self esteem, had a bright smile. He excitedly said, "I feel like a real artist, and I can use a ruler!"
Sauser added, “We discussed how if he enjoyed using a ruler to create designs, he might consider becoming a draftsman. We had a long conversation about the skills he would need. He walked out of class more confident that I have ever seen him.”
"My students see the connection between life and the math they are using," Sauser continued. "Some of the math skills include an understanding of symmetry, multiplying decimals, rounding to the nearest whole number, and working with ration and how to enlarge their designs. We have daily discussions regarding craftsmanship, using rulers to draw a straight line – very difficult for most of my students – and working on the design until it meets our rubric."
In the next few weeks, Sauser’s students will study color theory and learn how to construct their kites, and she is taking her class to the Tacoma Art Museum to study color and symmetry and how to apply these concepts to their projects.
Roselee Sauser was a second-year participant in the Arts Impact Math Artistic Pathways program at First Creek Middle School in Tacoma during the 2009-10 school year.