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Ms. Russell's Classroom

  • Albert Hill Middle School
  • Richmond, VA
  • Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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show projects from all time

Past projects 5

  • Reading and Writing Across the Art Curriculum

    Funded Jul 23, 2024

    Thank you for believing in the importance of reading and writing across the curriculum, even Art Class! The teacher resource books, the interesting and beautiful library books, the composition books that I created into lovely art journals are all items we will use and cherish in our classroom. I just started having the students use their journals this week as we share definitions of art and start focusing on the elements and principles of art.

    Thank you for your apparent love of the arts and your willingness to help purchase supplies!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Russell

  • Hardbound Sketchbooks for Artistic Expression

    Funded Jul 23, 2024

    Thank you so much for contributing to this project in helping my students obtain hardbound sketchbooks! Many students were able to buy their own, but the students who could buy them were so impressed with ones I gave them from this grant.

    At the beginning of the school year, students learn that a sketchbook is a place to practice creative ideas, and practice drawing skills that were taught in class. We start with drills like drawing geometric solids with a bright light coming from the right side. Students were happy about their accomplishments!

    Thank you so much for helping public school teachers fund projects such as this one. Your contribution is so appreciated!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Russell

  • Watercolor Paintings of Flowers

    Funded Mar 4, 2015

    So, my students were so excited to see the large boxes arrived with watercolor art supplies! It feels a little like our birthday. (: The students did some planning in their sketchbooks and then started painting. Some of the smaller paintings are starting to become finished, but the larger paintings are still a work in progress. They are loving having fresh new paint and new brushes for working.

    The focus for the assignment centers around flowers and value, value, value. Students have seen many demonstrations where paintings with value (lightness, darkness) tend to pop, and look more 3-dimensional, so this is their opportunity to experiment with those ideas. They especially are enjoying the liquid watercolors for the deep, rich colors.

    In art class, I want my students to think outside the box, take a risk with the materials if they have an idea that expands upon the general directions. I love it when a student says, "What if.........., I wonder what would happen?" "Fabulous, give it a try," I'll often say.

    Having supplies for watercolor flowers has been wonderful! Thank you so much for your generosity!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Russell

  • Reading About the Art World

    Funded Jul 17, 2014

    Since our gift of books came to the school in different shipments, the secretary in our school called my classroom many times expressing that another package arrived! It was really fun to open boxes to reveal the lovely art books!

    As you are well aware, really nice, beautiful books cost a lot of money and the students realize how special they are. It is a pleasure to see my students search for the Georgia O'Keeffe or Chihuly books, for they are each massive and bursting with color and story. Actually, as varied as the titles in the order, the kids love them all!

    Thank you, again, for this offering to our class! My hopes are that the information in these books inspires students to learn and create! I hope this experience also teaches them something about generosity and how we can all help others be more knowledgeable about the art world!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Russell

  • The Art of Family Storytelling

    Funded Sep 22, 2007

    Thank you so much for your generous donation to my "Art of Family Storytelling" project. I believe the project not only meets requirements pertaining to interviewing techniques, but also bridges a gap that can sometimes exist between people from different generations. Bridging the gap between youngsters and their grandparents is not only beneficial for the individuals, but beneficial to our society as a whole.

    Thank you, again, for helping us by purchasing the digital recorders for the children to use during the interviewing process.

    Best Regards,

    Sharon ”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Russell

I teach Visual Arts at Albert Hill Middle School where the population is approximately 520 students, encompassing grades 6-8, where 75% of our population are African American, 25%, white and Hispanic students. I feel so fortunate to work in a school that seems like a microcosm of society, enabling groups of students from different backgrounds to learn valuable lessons from each other! My art curriculum covers visual production, art history, cultural context study, art analysis, critique, and aesthetics. I have taught Honors Language Arts and U. S. History in the past, so incorporating these subjects with Visual Arts in my teaching feels exciting and necessary to me. I also have experience as a Montessori teacher, which forever will influence my teaching philosophy and method. I often spend a lot of my own money on my students for art supplies and art books for my class library. Donations are appreciated, always.

About my class

I teach Visual Arts at Albert Hill Middle School where the population is approximately 520 students, encompassing grades 6-8, where 75% of our population are African American, 25%, white and Hispanic students. I feel so fortunate to work in a school that seems like a microcosm of society, enabling groups of students from different backgrounds to learn valuable lessons from each other! My art curriculum covers visual production, art history, cultural context study, art analysis, critique, and aesthetics. I have taught Honors Language Arts and U. S. History in the past, so incorporating these subjects with Visual Arts in my teaching feels exciting and necessary to me. I also have experience as a Montessori teacher, which forever will influence my teaching philosophy and method. I often spend a lot of my own money on my students for art supplies and art books for my class library. Donations are appreciated, always.

About my class

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