Kids standard may issue (web)

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I S S U E 1 3 | M A Y 2 016

ART LISTEN TO YOUR

Colors of

Nature PAGE 3

Interview

with Dr. Abraham

PAGE 22

Parent’s

Corner

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

PAGE 23

F E AT U R E

Index: Feature..................................................2 Colors of Nature..................................3 Dance....................................................5 Review..................................................6 Music.....................................................7 Kids Corner..........................................8 Art History...........................................9 Fiction.................................................11 Imagination........................................12 Poetry..................................................14 Art........................................................15 College Voices...................................16 News...................................................19 Educators............................................21 Interview............................................22 Parent’s Corner..................................23

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T

Listen to Your Art

he moment our toddlers show the first signs of motor skills to hold a crayon or mold play dough, we, parents, rush to buy coloring books, paints, modeling clay, and many other supplies to encourage their creativity. We sing to and with them. We celebrate their first attempts to create something of their own. We encourage them to dance and express themselves through motion. We know that the arts are essential.

When children start school, however, the capacity for creative thought is often pushed back by our view of intelligence as an academic ability. To allow more time for math, science, and language studies, music and the arts are often at the top of the “cut list.”

Yet, numerous studies have shown substantial benefits of arts education not only on student learning but also on student motivation, attitudes, and attendance. For many children, involvement in arts education becomes a lifeline that connects them to school and helps them succeed in school and life alike. The arts teach invaluable lessons; they also help the formation of self.

Erik Takeshita, the Bush Foundation’s Portfolio Director and

Arina Bokas

Kids’ Standard Editor & The Future of Learning Host

a ceramic artist, puts it best, “Making art is an act of creation that gives people a sense of agency—the experience that they can change the physical world and the world of the people around them.”

Our May issue Art in Me offers reflections and student work that are results of their capacity for creative thought. Enjoy!

Arina Bokas Kids’ Standard Editor

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Disclaimer: All editorial and advertising material submitted to Kids Standard becomes the property of Kids Standard to be reproduced as seen fit. It will not be returned unless by prior arrangement. Submitted material includes advertising artwork and editorial content (including but not limited to: articles and images, art work and creative writing). All the designs remain the copyright of Kids Standard. Kids Standard welcomes comments and suggestions, as well as information about errors that call for corrections. Kids Standard is committed to presenting information fairly and accurately.

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C O L O R S O F N AT U R E

Black and White Pandas

By Sophia Morris and Ava Wojewnik,

4th grade, Independence Elementary, Clarkston Schools

P

andas are big, fluffy, black and white animals. A female Giant Panda can be 170-180 lbs and grow to be about 2.5 feet. A male giant panda can weigh about 220 lbs and can grow to be about 3 feet, Pandas live in China, Sichuan, Gansu provinces, and Shaanxi. They used to live in lowlands, but forest clearing, farming and other construction destroyed their habitat.

Pandas live in climates with dense stands of bamboo that they eat. The Giant Panda does not hibernate, but it will shelter in caves or hollow trees in very cold weather. Pandas are very social animals; they also are endangered. This means that very little of the animal is still alive around the world. There are about 1,000 left in the world.

Colorful Frogs

By Emma Bradley,

4th grade, Clarkston Elementary

F

rogs are very amazing animals! They have a cool life cycle and eat unusual foods. They also have a very colorful body.

Frog’s life cycle is very interesting. First, a frog starts as an egg, in a little ball of jelly. Then it becomes a tadpole. Later, while still a tadpole, it grows arms and legs. During the last stage, it loses its tail and becomes a frog.

Frogs eat many different foods.

Their appetite is very different. Bull frogs eat small frogs and mice.

Other frogs eat worms; sometimes MAY 2016

they eat insects. Frogs have a really cool body. They have powerful legs that allow them to jump up to 33 feet! They also have a really sticky tongue to catch bugs.

Even their skin is covered with a sticky slime called mucus. There are many different types of frogs.

The flying frog takes big jumps by spreading the webbing in between its toes.The Pinocchio nosed frog has a long pinched nose. And the transparent frog looks see-through like glass!

Overall, Frogs are unique animals. It is important to learn about all these aspects of frogs because they’re interesting creatures and make up a big part of our ecosystem.

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C O L O R S O F N AT U R E

White Polar Bears

Gray and Brown Koala

By Avery Pummill

4th grade, Clarkston Elementary

T

he Koala is a very interesting animal. They are marsupials, and their name comes from an Australian aboriginal word meaning “no drink”. Koalas normally weigh 15 to 30 pounds and measure 25 to 30 inches tall. Koalas have soft thick fur, a large hairless nose, no tail, and round ears. Their fur can be gray or brown. Koala’s have long curved claws that could seriously injure someone. Koalas live in eastern Australia. People used to hunt koalas for their fur, and unfortunately, they are now considered endangered.

By Olivia Mendieta,

4th Grade, Pine Knob Elementary, Clarkston Schools

P

olar bears are really cute animals with clear fur coat.

They also have black skin to absorb sunlight and keep them warm.

Polar Bears are the largest bear species. There are about 20,000-25,000 polar bears in the world. Between 60-80% of this species lives in Canada, and they travel great distances to other cold environments because they need sea ice to survive.

Polar Bears have strong and powerful noses that sense food from far away distances! They eat dolphins, seals, and fish.

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F ENAT DA C EU R E

By Carleigh Ottman,

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4 grade, Clarkston Elementary

’ve been dancing for a total of three years. Dancing has been my passion ever since first grade; it makes me happy. Wherever I go, I am so happy that my energy spills out!

After one year of dance, I wasn’t sure that my heart wanted to continue dancing. I felt this way because dance was new to my life and I wasn’t used to it. I wasn’t very flexible and it didn’t seem right in my heart to be a dancer.

After a break from dance my heart felt blank. That was the point when I realized I needed dance back in my life. Since I started dancing again, I’ve gotten better and better as dance has become my heart.

Every time I hear music, I get up and dance. And I know when I stop dancing, I will always find my passion for it again.

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REVIEW

Anime Art

By Emily Daly ,

4th grade, Clarkston Elementary

A

nime is a very interesting Japanese art style with characters that have big, glittery eyes.

I like to watch a lot of anime on YouTube.

They are really fun to watch because the characters are all unique and funny.

Each character has different features, which makes them look cool. Anime teaches you about Japanese culture and language that are different from those in America.

The Legend of the Moose Tree in Lake Orion, MI

By Cara Maxfield, Orion Oaks Elementary School Lake Orion

D

id you know there is a legend in Lake Orion? It’s a legend of how the Moose got stuck in a tree at the Moose Tree Nature Preserve.

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Lucky Star is an anime show that features four cheerleader girls as they go through their normal, everyday life.

Watching this show has helped me learn about Japanese culture. The characters make sushi, for example. I’d never eaten sushi before, so this show encouraged me to try food from a different culture.

Pokemon is also an anime show which features many different characters and has a lot of different series. My favorite series is XY; it includes the characters Clementine and Ash. This show taught

me that all people are different because each Pokemon has a unique personality.

The different names for Pokemon are derived from Japanese words, which are different words than what we use in America.

Overall, from watching anime shows I learned a lot about Japanese life, food, and language. I hope to continue to watch more anime shows so I can learn more about Japan and the unique artwork that it has.

If you have the chance to visit the Moose Tree Nature Preserve you will get to walk on the nature trail and it is there that you will hear about the Moose Tree.

The legend goes like this. Once, there was a hunter walking on the trail of the Nature Preserve on a cold, wintry night.

He heard a sound that did not sound like his footprints in leaves. It was a Moose!

He followed the moose but the moose was too fast. As the moose was running quickly through the woods, he looked behind him to see if the hunter was close behind or if he lost him on the chase.

SMACK! The moose ran face first into

the tree and that is where the moose has stayed for all of these years. When you go visit the Moose Tree Nature Preserve you will see the tree on the trail that the moose lives in.

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MUSIC

How To Make Your Own Music Video

By Max Robin

1st Grade, Springfield Plains Elementary, Clarkston Schools

I

like music videos because they are funny. I am going to teach you how to make your own music video.

The first thing you have to do is pick a good song, like Centuries by Fall Out Boy. You should pick your favorite song.

You will also need friends to help with recording the video. I would get my brothers to be in it with me.

You need a director to plan out the music video and be in charge. I would be my own director because I want to be in charge.

You need someone with a video camera to record the video. You also need a microphone or a camera with a microphone so you can record your singing.

You could even use your phone.

You need a place to record your video, like somewhere outside. You could record it at a park. I would do it at a baseball park because baseball is fun.

For the last thing, you need to edit the video. You might need help. I would ask my brothers to help me edit it. You should put in things you like. I would put Kylo Ren from Star Wars in my video because he is cool. Make your video exciting. Make it good. And make it about you. It’s your art!

Riding on the Sunset A Composition using only black keys

By Kaylin Russell

2nd Grade, Paint Creek Elementary, Lake Orion

MAY 2016

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KIDS CORNER

The TheGirl Girl Who Who Loved Lovedto to Paint Paint

By Lily Morris,

5th Grade, Independence Elementary, Clarkston

I

t was a nice and beautiful day outside, and a girl named Emily Cabadas was sitting on a brown, rusted rock in the grass. As a rush of wind blew through Emily’s hair, she looked down, grabbed a blue colored pencil, and drew a light, blue sky over the marker. Then she grabbed her wooden paint brush, dipped it into the liquid paint, and started to paint as the brush stroked back and forth. You could see the streaks of light blue appear on the canvas. When she was done, she looked at the masterpiece she created. She picked up her paints, markers and colored pencils, then ran into her house. “ Hi, mom, how are you doing?”

Emily tiredly spoke. “ Good” said Ms. Cabadas. “ Your friend Karli called to ask if you wanted to see a movie. Madison was going to meet you guys there.” “ Alright, I’m going to get ready.”

Emily ran into her room and changed into black smooth flats and a cocktail dress. She pulled her hair back into a bun and stuck a flower in. She put on black eye shadow and added a little of the gray over the black. She spread some light pink blush on her cheeks and 8

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touched her lips with a little darker pink lipstick.

A text message came in from Karli: “Just got picked by Madison. Leaving now. Be there in 5 mins.’’

A few minutes later, when Karli pulled into Emily’s driveway, Emily slipped out the door and hopped into the car.

Once they got to the theater, Emily wondered, “What movie are we going to see?” Karli answered, “The Girl Who Loved to Paint.’’

Madison piped in, “We picked it because we knew you like to paint,’’ she said in a cheerful voice.

“You are in theater number 77,” the worker told them as they cheered excitedly. In the theater hall they saw a sign “Theaters 60-100” in bright red letters with a yellow background. In Theater 77, the lights were dimmed, the smell of the sweet, buttery popcorn was filling the room, and all they could see was

the light shining off the theater screen.

As the lights went off, large letters appeared on the screen: ‘The Girl Who Loved to Paint.”

Emily loved this movie. After it was over, all she could see was a new combination of colors that she wanted to try, as new ideas and images were crowding her mind. Sitting at their favorite place, where the girls stopped for dinner, she could hardly wait to get home and paint again.

When the waitress brought out their food, Emily noticed that a tray was decorated with colorful splat paints. “ I like your tray,’’ she complimented.

After dinner, Karli drove them home.

Emily grabbed her color set and left the house to sit on the same rock and color a sunset with 20 minutes left before she had to get ready for bed. It hadn’t been five minutes when she was done with the sun and started the reflection of the sun on the water.

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A RT H I S TO R Y

The Mona Lisa

By Aubrey Snavley,

5th Grade, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston

T

he Mona Lisa is a famous painting that was created in 1503 by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci is a well known artist who enriched the world with many works of art, but the Mona Lisa is the most famous of all. It was painted with oil paints on a wood panel and is considered to be one of the world's most

treasured paintings.

The woman's mysterious smile is a very distinctive feature on the painting. Many people have different theories about who Mona Lisa was and whether

she really was a real woman. Some think that it is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini.

Some argue that the Mona Lisa is a self portrait of Leonardo da Vinci with woman features.

As you may notice, the Mona Lisa is missing eyebrows and eyelashes; no one knows for sure why. One theory suggests that at da Vinci’s time, it was popular for women to pluck their eyelashes and eyebrows; so maybe the Mona Lisa never had these features. It has been determined by a face recognition software that the Mona Lisa is 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% fearful, and 2% angry. The Mona Lisa did not become famous until it was stolen from the Louvre, one of the world’s well known art museum, in 1911. A main suspect was Pablo Picasso - another famous artist - who was jailed until later proven innocent. There are still many things to discover about the Mona Lisa - a masterpiece that resides in the Louvre, in Paris, France.

Rock ‘N Roll Narwhal and Friends

By Malina Mogolan,

3rd grade, Angell Elementary, Berkley Schools

N

arwhals are the unicorns of the sea. The narwhal and four of his friends secretly have parties in caves. The clown fish plays the saxophone, the turtle plays the drums, the narwhal plays the maracas, the crab plays the guitar, and the lead singer is the jelly fish!

Narwhals are endangered, that means that there are not many left. Have you ever heard the song “Rock ‘N Narwhals”?

Well, that song, as you can probably tell, is by the band Rock ‘N Roll Narwhal and Friends. That is the secret band we are talking about.

The band is only in the ocean, so if you have been to the ocean, then you’ve probably heard the secret band. I have been to the ocean. What ocean, you ask? Well, the Atlantic Ocean! Do you want to know what a Narwhals favorite treat is? A cookie

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(and pickles)!

So, again, Narwhals are the unicorns of the sea. Why can’t unicorns just be real? Let’s think: if narwhals are the unicorns of the sea, so maybe a narwhal is just a unicorn in disguise and he or she has a band. So go online and order your tickets for the next Rock ‘N Roll Narwhal and Friends concert!

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FICTION

By Anjali Issac,

5th Grade, Clarkston Elementary

M

y good friend Joe told me about the gold rush in California. Well, I’m all the way in Oklahoma. I was thinking about telling my dad and mom at dinner that I was going. They’re old now. My dad is 50 and my mom is 70. So I can’t be taking any risks either.

“Tom, dinner’s ready. Are you coming or not, Tom?” As I walk to the dinner table and sit down, I say, “Mom, Dad, I will be going to California. Joe told me that there’s a gold rush there.” “ Are you crazy, son? That’s way too dangerous,” said dad.

“Oh my” exclaimed mom.” We can’t afford to get you there on a boat.”

“No I’m going on land. It’s time I be a man” I said.

That night I was sneaking out; I rode my horse to my cousin Martha’s house not far down the street. Then I put a note telling her I’m gone and to take care of my parents. I could trust her.

As I was quietly packing, I wrote a note to my parents telling them I’m being a man. I opened the creaky door, and the wall of heat hit me. I walked to my horse, Ding Dong, and gave her a good bucket of water. It was going to be a long ride.

It’s about 6:30 in the morning, the heat is hitting me harder and harder by the minute. I would have done this trip in the Fall, but that’s too long. My dad is getting sick and we need the money.

Our whole family needs it, and I have the guts.

“Yes!” I see some water. “Ding Dong, drink it, girl. This will be all we get for a long time.” I fill my canteen with lots of water.

I look far ahead. I see something. It’s a dog lunging towards us. It stops, then runs. I saddle up, and then Ding Dong runs straight at the dog. What if the dog takes that as a challenge? The dog just runs slower. Before I know it, he is right there next to us running with Ding Dong.

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GOLD RUSH

“ I’m going to name you Mack. I think I see the Texas border...”

Looks like we’re 10 more miles till the next city with a good stop. The sun is beating on me. Sweat is dripping down my face. I can’t go any farther. I have to leave. No, this is for my family. If my parents are going to have a life, I do this.

Time to make camp. I get out my knife that my mom used to cook with just in case someone tries to steal my goods. As I lay down, my head starts to hurt. My feet feel like they have thorns in them. I wake up; something is outside the tent.

I slowly approach it and try to stab. I missed - it ran off. I start up again. Mack wakes up easy. Ding Dong doesn’t want to go, but if we stay we can die. Ding Dong runs extra fast so it would be over soon. Finally, we made it to Amarillo and got some water.

”I think I just saw Joe. Oh Mack, Joe is my friend.”

“Tom, good to see you!” It’s Joe! “Oh, man, it’s great to see you. It’s crazy out here.” My best friend and I hug like we never had before. Oh, what joy it was!

“You know what, I have more gold than I know what to do with. You take some of my gold,” Joe offers.

“Gosh, thank you so much.” If I would have kept going, I would probably die. Also if I didn’t make it, my parents would not have any money. “Let’s go home.”

As we set off for our journey home, we we’re hot and need rest. So we go to sleep. As I lay down, I hear a crunch.

Bones! I move.

Next morning as I put my hands in the air and stretch, Joe wakes up as well.

“Let’s break camp” I say. There isn’t much to pack.

“Great look where in Pampa!” suggests Joe. Mack can tell we’re close because the grin on our faces. I climb onto Ding Dong, sweat running down me, and I pull my reins. Ding Dong starts fast. As we ride, I get eager to get home.

Soon I am crossing the border to Oklahoma!

“Bark, bark!” Mack says. For 5 miles, Ding Dong and Joe’s horse race.

“Guys, my house is down this road; got to go.”

“Ok, see you, man! Nice trip! We did it.” I say with excitement. “Come on, Ding Dong! Come on, Mack! We are only 3 miles down the road. Let’s go as fast as we can.”

As I’m riding, wind is blowing in my hair, sweat stains, and on my shirt.

As I walk into the house, my mom comes and hugs me a tight squeeze.

“Honey, are you ok?” she asks.

“Mom, I made it; I’m alive! Where is dad?”

As I walk to the living room, I see my dad.

He smiles, “Tom you did it; you really did.”

In the next years, dad was cured and the whole family came down to Oklahoma where they had a big roomy lot.

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I M A G I N AT I O N

Art of Imagination By: Alison Scheil

5th grade, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston Schools

I

magination allows you to do anything you want to do. Imagination also lets you pretend to be anything you want to be. You can pretend to fly a plane or you could pretend to to be a tiger. Overall, imagination is really your creation.

Imagination is also called faculty of imagining. It is the ability to make images in the mind that you can’t see or hear. A person can imagine good or bad depending on the mood. There is also

imagination in books, like fairy tales or fantasies. It is all around us. We all use imagination. Imagination is what makes you. If you had no imagination, you would be a boring person - meaning,

Knocked Out

By Kelsey Schaldenbrand,

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9th Grade, Clarkston Junior High School

he wind hit my face through the waves. I crushed the sand through my hands. The smell of the lake stretched across the beach. When I squinted, I could see my neighbor’s boat riding the horizon. The water was smooth like an artist's paintbrush across a fresh canvas. I was extremely happy sitting on the beach, wearing a blue floral bikini, and being surrounded by sparkling sand. The castle around me was built with the finest sand; the sand felt smooth and cold on my toes.

Constructing a mansion in the sand was one thing, but abandoning it to kneeboard with the neighbors, was another. I stuffed and squashed the sand together, forming a beautiful castle, sitting close to the waves coming in. I added the finishing touch - a sea shell shaped like a heart and the color of peaches and cream right above the front door. As a little girl, I felt really accomplished to have built this all by myself. I was sad of leaving such a masterpiece behind to be wiped away by the next coming wave. Mom said more kids would come and remake the castle. Their castle would be even bigger and better than mine.

I abandoned the castle with regret in my heart. My

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you would have no personality or any ideas at all. One person having no imagination or the whole world having no imagination is a lot different. If the whole world had no imagination, our lives would consist of eating, sleeping and breathing. But if just one person had imagination, it would change the whole world. There are many famous people that wouldn’t be famous if there were no imagination. Dr.Seuss wouldn’t have been able to write Wacky Wednesday or Hop on Pop if it weren’t for imagination.

Walt Disney wouldn’t have been able to make movies we all love today.

Without imagination there would be no movies and no electronics we have today. Without imagination all the things we love would be gone. You should always use your imagination to come up with some great ideas. Imagination is your art and creation; it’s how you create yourself!

imagination took over; I knew I had to inform the king and queen of the castle that I was leaving. I told them what Mom said: new kids would come back and remake the masterpiece that was wiped away. I ran my tiny legs all the way back to my boat. The sand felt like a slip and slide. I stopped and glanced back at my magnificent castle, reconsidering my decision, but nothing bad seemed to happen. The boat looked like a finish line I was running to get to. I dashed and flew until I remembered again what a masterpiece I was leaving behind. As I turned my face and glanced at the castle, my mind was not able to keep up with my feet. The closer I came to the boat the more the ground seemed to slip from under me. I hit it hard against the side of the boat, right on my two front teeth. Tears were draining from my eyes like a waterfall. The space where my teeth used to be a minute ago was empty. The pain was shooting through the gap. As we arrived back to the cabin to seek attention towards the gap in the front of my mouth, I paced back and forth past a mirror, cried, and sobbed until there’s no more tears left. I regretted letting a single wave wash in seconds away a castle that took hours to create. I regretted letting other kids come and have all the fun with it. I was happy with the size of it; I didn't need kids to build it bigger and better than mine. Most of all, I regretted leaving the castle for other kids. Again my imagination took over. I could sense the king and queen disappointed and nervous for a new castle to be built. They were just as sad as I was.

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POETRY Falling

Listen To Your Art

By Lianara Garcia, 5th Grade, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston

By Emily Valencia, 4th Grade, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston

Falling,

Listen to your heart,

Falling,

and listen to your art,

Falling

art can be anything,

Falling like a leaf

it is something, not nothing,

into an endless pit From which I’ll never leave I’m falling, falling, falling down The world is swirling all around I’m falling.

Our Little Friends

By Rachel Raupp, 6th Grade, Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston Our little friends All dressed in white Jump off To enjoy their flight Each one A different shape A different size Once they play Children play Eat a few And let their creativity work From the free day we all took Some times they are hard Sometimes they are soft Sometimes they are packy And others…

Well Not so much But whoever they are We still have fun And we play And we play Until the day is done Once they take their flight again Everyone will run to play ‘Til the day is done once again

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art can be a wall, art can be a ball, art can be anything, or everything, or both, choose your life by listening to your art.

Lion

By Jennifer Neumann, 6th grade, Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston My glistening fur shines like gold and silver in the sun The earth s h u d d e r s as I pound the ground with my thunderous paws always getting close but never catching my prey My gaping jaw yawns at morning stretched comfortably across the flat ground I lay watching the sunrise I am the lion a creature of power and strength

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POETRY Stormy Night

Colors

By Baylee Tweed, Clarkston

By Macy McNaughton , Independence Elementary, Clarkston

On dark and stormy nights When thunder rolls and lightning strikes

Colors are something that you can’t describe. There are colors everywhere that you look! Gray on the sidewalk, green on the grass! There are so many colors, if you are lucky and there is sun after rain, you can see a rainbow! There is seven colors in the rainbow, Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo and Violet.

You can remember it by: R.O.Y .G. B.I.V . You can not really go anywhere without seeing colors, even when you close your eyes, you see black! I am so glad that I have colors in my life.

A RT

I love you and you say goodnight.

When it’s dark I hold you tight With all my might And tell you it’s all right.

It’s always fair so don’t pick your hair. The hair is like lightning so never stare.

I’m right here and I never stare.

Sam Nidiffer,

4th grade, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston

Page Hannah Agnew,

Clarkston High School, 12th grade Sasha Bokas,

6th grade, Sashabaw MiddleSchool, Clarkston MAY 2016

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KCIO DLSL E CG OER NVO E RI C E S

College Tour Series:

Maggie Livengood Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, Michigan

By Emily Prostko,

10th grade, Lake Orion High School When did you first develop a love for art?

I have always had a deep appreciation and love for art. I was very fortunate when I was young. My parents put in my art classes before kindergarten, and they took me to museums and art galleries throughout my childhood. I have always just made art. My parents encouraged me to draw and paint from the moment I could hold a pencil and a brush.

What impact did your passion for art have on you growing up?

I turned to art in order to help process difficult emotions and transitions. It had such a profound effect on my life that I ended up changing my entire career path. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. I loved science, and I wanted to work with people. Once 16

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Originally from Neenah, Wisconsin, Maggie Livengood relocated to Grand Rapids in August 2014 to attend Kendall College of Art and Design for Art Education. She will graduate in May of 2017.

I started my undergraduate career, I realized that I couldn’t live without art.

I was not happy because I wasn’t creating. I was challenged academically, but I needed a balance between studying and creating.

What type of career do you plan to pursue with your art degree?

I am an aspiring high school art teacher. I love working with adolescents. It is such a pivotal time in life that I want to encourage as many people as possible to at least explore creating art even just

as a way to process emotions. I would like to learn more about how art can help individuals who have suffered from traumatic events.

Why do you think art is important in school curriculums?

Where to begin?! Art improves the brain functioning by increasing brain activity and improving psychological resilience. It actually helps reduce stress and improves the ability to problem solve.

Art provides a safe outlet to express and process emotions; it allows for selfreflection; it improves observational skills and promotes new ways of seeing.

Art makes learning relevant and allows for hands-on experiences. It allows for integration of other subjects. When we learn proportion and perspective, we are learning and reinforcing mathematical skills. Even just participating in a class critique teaches valuable interpersonal skills. Art helps us see and appreciate the beauty in the world.

What do you think is the importance of art is to our generation?

Design is one of the leading industries right now in terms of employment.

Additionally, companies and businesses are seeking innovative, creative thinkers who have exceptional interpersonal skills. When we practice art making and collaboration inside and outside of our education, we are building these necessary skills. Art also provides opportunities for self-exploration; it is a manner in which we document our culture and our individuality.

How do you use art to express yourself?

I use art as an opportunity for

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NEWS

Kids Standard’s Jeopardy who attended to cheer their teams. The host of the show was Camron Razdar!

The students were attentive, energetic, and passionate about the different subjects that were presented……………

The winning team was Bailey Lake Elementary! This group of students won a free hour of bowling at cherry lanes!

Since the students had so much fun, we are planning to have our next Jeopardy in November!!

We organized a Kids Standard Jeopardy game for all the students who have participated in Kids Standard after School club this year.

This event took place on Monday May 16th at Clarkston High School Cafeteria at 6pm.

We served pizza and drinks.

The teams that attended the competition were as follows: Independence Elementary, Pine Knob Elementary and Baily Lake Elementary.

We saw friends and family

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Thom Markham: Psychologist, Writer, Speaker and Founder& CEO of PBL Global

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

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PEOPLE W HO

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Interview with MRS. HEIDI MERCER

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The best articles published in Kids’ Standard during the year of 2015-2016 will be handpicked by our editors to create one special issue of the magazine - The Best of Kids’ Standard 2015-2016. To make sure that you get a copy, PREORDER it NOW at a discounted rate! Pre-order price is $5; regular price is $7.

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Creativity: What I Breathe

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Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

MAY 2016

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C O L L E G E VO I C E S Continue from page 16 self-reflection and for developing my opinions and beliefs. I use quite a bit of symbolism in my work, along with actual documentation of myself, whether it’s through drawn self-portraits or using old family photos. I am hoping to explore more paper making this summer and create a natural mobile using materials found in nature, handmade paper, and photo transfers. I am going to incorporate drawings on the paper as well. I want it to be an exploration my family history, the loss of my father, and my upcoming marriage. I don’t have one style or preferred media. Generally speaking, I do produce more 2D work than 3D, with an emphasis on drawing.

Where do you see art going in the future?

I see art everywhere, especially in terms of design. Design Thinking schools are being created all over the country. The design thinking process focuses on collaboration, innovation, and revision. Designers focus on a specific user and tailor the design based on the user’s needs and preferences. It’s about doing the research and coming up with wild ideas, refining and/or combining them based on feedback, building prototypes, solving problems, testing the product with the user, and back to refining the design. Designers create our clothing, our cars, our shopping carts, our furniture, and our everyday products.

Is there a specific famous artist or piece of artwork that inspired you the most?

I love all types of art, from Early American Arts and Crafts, to Impressionism, to local artists. One of my absolute favorite photo series is Sallie Mann’s Immediate Family. It’s a beautiful documentation of family, childhood, and growing up. I am drawn to very personal work.

What would a high school student like to know about a college art student?

Art making is time consuming! It’s OK

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to be selfish with you time. I gave up a lot of social activities in order to study and work on my projects. However, I’ve made some incredible friends – friends who are with me late at night in the studio. College is expensive! Your money, time, and education is so incredibly important – don’t waste it!

It’s also an adjustment. Be kind to yourself, physically, emotionally, and mentally. When I first went back to school, I decided that I needed to ease myself into college life again. I only took 4 classes, and I volunteered when I had

the time. After that first semester, I was able to add more to my plate.

If you could give any advice to your high and middle school self, what would it be?

Keep making art and do what makes you happy, even if it’s not what other people think you should do. It’s ok to be different! It’s ok to be you! It seems like the opinion of others is the most important thing in the world, but it’s not. Your opinion is what matters. Your life is what you make of it.

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E D U C AT O R S

The Superhero Power of Music

By Amber Cooper and Dakotah Cooper

Elementary Music Teachers, Birmingham Schools and Lake Orion Schools

F

rom the beginning of our times as humankind, music has been a powerful accompaniment to our existence. Through music, we connect to the thoughts of others in a way that words alone cannot suffice.

Some of us listen to music in the car, while others spend hours transfixed on a single measure seeking mastery. Either way, music can lift us above our own selves to see, think, and feel someone else’s being. Music is a superhero that lives inside all of us, teaching us empathy and nurturing important dispositions and skills.

A key component of music making, effective collaboration is one important disposition that students develop as they work in music. While kids grow their ability to musically express ideas and emotions, they simultaneously learn the equation ‘my idea + your idea = something better.’ By working together, learners expand their capacity for giving and internalizing constructive feedback.

Negotiating thoughts for one final product is difficult at any age; thus, learning how to effectively express ideas and actively listen to ideas of others benefits students tremendously.

Another impactful disposition stemming from working in music is that learners become intentional in their practice and setting goals. Our toddler Ezra spends hours playing “rock and roll” in the music room, smashing the keys on the electric piano. He loves it, no doubt, but he’s not growing as a musician. He has not yet improved his ability to rock or roll. In order to make progress, one has to set a goal, develop a plan of how to practice, and then set that plan into motion. This way, every time a learner MAY 2016

plays through a piece of music, he or she is putting out a new iteration of learning, assessing it and revising it. Through this intentional work one grows as a musician or a professional in any field.

The capability to focus is an important skill that also improves drastically over the time that a student devotes to music.

The reason is simple: learning to play an instrument well demands all of one’s focus. If a student starts thinking about the math homework that was left on the bottom of the backpack and hoping that the chocolate milk isn’t leaking, then he or she will miss the “#” that was just written before the “f” in measure five.

Learners quickly figure out that if they want to meet their goals, they need to focus and play their best.

Finally, the celebration of small wins is also a worthy disposition inspired by working in music. There are days when a musician makes large gains in his or her playing. Everything clicks, and one feels like a rock star. More often than not, however, learners walk away from their

practice sessions feeling overwhelmed: learning this piece of music is like climbing a mountain with a long way to go.

When one is looking up at a mountain to see how far there is yet to climb, one also needs to look down to see how much has already been gained. This understanding is important to learners. Good musicians develop the disposition to say, “I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m never going to miss that sharp in measure five again!”

When learners celebrate the small wins, the big goals become more attainable.

Through exploring music together over the years in middle and high schools, young musicians develop deep connections and nurture life-long friendships. Music classes are like big families. Upperclassmen are excited for the opportunity to take the freshmen under their wing and help foster the next generation of musicians. Having a safe place to think, learn, and grow is hard to overestimate. Music is an unsung superhero. “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

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I N T E RV I E W

Art of Medicine

Interview with Dr. Renny Abraham

By Ceren Ege,

What classes did you take in high school that helped you in college?

12th Grade, Clarkston High School

D

r. Renny Abraham, the President of the Clarkston Medical Group, is board certified in internal medicine/ pediatrics. He studied medicine at Hope College and University of Michigan. He has undertaken medical mission trips to Haiti and India, which he continues to support to this day.

I took a lot of Advanced Placement classes: Biology, Chemistry, Calculus, and History. I went into college as a sophomore; I actually finished my first year of college in high school with 32 credits coming in.

What do you see in the future for the medical field?

Why did you decide to be a doctor?

Honestly, I didn’t know what my call was until the first year of college. I was born in India. We came here when I was 2 years old. My dad was a pastor; my mom didn’t speak English. My dad worked as a pastor for 25 years along with being on an assembly line at GM. I started working in the street as a paperboy, and eventually graduated from Clarkston High School in the class of ‘92.

I wanted to be a missionary, but I didn’t want to go somewhere and have nothing to give. Since math and science were my gifts, I thought that mastering the art of medicine was the best way I could help people.

Why did you choose the medical specialties that you did?

It offered a broad spectrum - I could take care of adults and kids with internal medicine and pediatrics. I could go to the hospital and take care of the whole family on a much more personal level than other practices. That’s the best part of the job - getting to know people and being able to help.

Tell us more your orphanage in India.

What made you decide to found it?

My father-in-law was a missionary in India, where he started an orphanage for the kids that were affected by the

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tsunami and lost their parents. We had about 60 kids at one point, and for $600 a month we clothed them, fed them, and got them in school. When my father-inlaw passed, we had to put them back in the street because there was no one left to take care of them. I wish we were part of a bigger organization so that if something like that does happen, we have a system in place. But for the time being, we gave those kids a life they had never had.

What did you do in Haiti on mission?

I went to Haiti with my roommate Ty Hopkins, whose great-great-great granduncle was John Hopkins. We saw 100-150 people for those five days that we were there. It was there, in Haiti, that I saved a life for the first time. A baby had a tumor on his back. We performed an operation out on the field and took the tumor out. That one day made all of med school worth it. Ty still asks me to go on mission trips every so often, and I just kind of tag along.

This field has a 100% failure rate, and I say that with humility because one way or another I’m going to fail. The fact is everybody dies. But we will keep on trying. I think also it’s going to be a lot different because care is very rationed - there’s not enough money out there to take care of all of the needs, so we have to pick and choose; that’s going to be really tough for people to swallow.

What advice would you give to someone going into medicine?

Don’t go in it for the money, or the power, or the prestige. My dad had this great saying that captures it best: Money, power, and fame are like water; the more you hold onto it the more it slips through your fingers. Character is like a well: the deeper your character is, the more water just fills in.

Medical school is incredibly hard.

Both of my roommates were Yale graduates, really brilliant. I went from being number one in my class in high school and in college to dead-average in med school. I’d never been that humbled in my life. But it was good for my character and mind, because it was rewarding to be around brilliant people.

So you never just do stuff because you want to get money. Figure out what your gifts are and build your character.

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PA R E N T ’ S C O R N E R

Art and Science: The Many Faces of Creation

A

Maggie Razdar Publisher/Founder

MAY 2016

rt has many faces. It comes in the form of literature, paintings, sculpture, dance; theater, film, and architecture All of these forms communicate a sensitive, intelligent and truthful message and call our attention to higher insights and deeper feelings.

Experiencing art is, for some people, mere entertainment, a welcome diversion from the banalities of everyday life. Others think of art primarily as an investment, or something to be consumed. But for some of us, art is a life-changing experience Expression is what connects us to one another. It is what makes us unique. By expressing emotion and feeling, we show our individual assets—our sensitivity and our tastes. As human beings, we all have amazingly unique personalities, and we can learn about ourselves from responding to the expression of other people. If you possess creativity, you can make art be it a fine art painting, film, or dance. Be inspired by all the things around you—be spontaneous and be brave.

For artists, painting is a wonderful way to relax and a form of fulfillment. When you have created something beautiful and enjoyable, you take pride in your work and this lead to a sense of fulfillment.

Art also intertwines with science and technology. We tend to think of science and art as separate entities when in reality, there is an enormous interplay between them. You need one to have the other. Art and science, in a sense, go hand in hand.

They are part of a mutual dialogue and both are integral to learning.

This is a critically important point. Most schools offer art classes, as well as math and science and engineering classes.

Yet, these classes rarely intersect. We learn and create in these classes as two separate groups. For artists and engineers alike, there is a fear of embracing the places where these fields cross.

Yet, in fact an amazing art installation or design often incorporates science. Likewise, engineers often develop products that are innovative and beautiful.

Tell us about some of the work that you’ve developed. Tell us about your favorite projects—the projects you admire that combine art and technology or engineering or projects that you consider “pure art.” Who knows? What you consider art may already be informed by science, technology and engineering too.

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