Art

My name is Jennifer Shaw-Mumford, and I am the art teacher at Lake Street School. I instruct students from Preschool through 5th grade. I have my bachelors in Art Education and Art Therapy from Springfield College.

Visual arts are important for every student's development. Fine motor skills improve as students use drawing materials and paintbrushes. Colors are named, counted, and mixed, touching on subjects like math and science. In addition, when students have created something they are proud of, their self-confidence is boosted.

The art room is a sanctuary for self-expression. As one of the universal languages all human beings understand, we use art to express ourselves and to communicate ideas. The art program builds a foundation that sequentially develops students' visual arts skills and knowledge. In elementary art, we work with mediums such as drawing, painting, clay, sculpture, and printmaking. The elements of art -- line, color, shape, form, value, space, and texture -- are explored at every grade level and demonstrated through the projects we create.