Blog Archives

Sleepy Hollow Classes Week 2

6/12/2014

This was a full week of art; 6 classes a day and lots of students attending. The thing that stands out to me is how creating really is a natural process for young people. It is like playing to them and it is joyful. What a nice reminder to us adults who take some things so seriously and continually want things to be 'just so'. Of course students still want a nice product but the process wins out. And I think because they have enjoyed that process so much it shows in their artwork. View the student art gallery to see their creations!

0 Comments

Day 5-School of Creativity and Wizardry

6/8/2014

1 Comment

Snape
with a
favored
Slytherin
student.
Normally
people
don't look
this happy
around him.

Advanced Potions, Quidditch, the House Cup and Leaving Feast...

Professor Snape visited and quizzed the students to see how much they knew about the various potions and their ingredients. The Slytherins excelled, but much to Snape's dismay the Gryffindors had won the chance earlier in the week to go first for potion making. Everyone had a chance brew up some interesting mixtures of their own.

Quidditch Practice! Students from every house gathered to try their hand at quidditch. Each team had a keeper, a handful of beaters and chasers, and three seekers. The quaffle was handled by chasers and the beaters threw small leather balls at them as a distraction. Keepers did their best to stop the quaffle but each team scored 40 points. (4 goals at 10 points each). Finally the snitches were released. They ran and ran and after strong suggestion by Madam Hooch that the game couldn't go on forever were caught.

The keepers hoop.

Chasing the quaffle.

Seekers worked hard to catch the snitches. The snitches rested hard during a time out.

Players battle over the quaffle.

Final Quidditch Score:
140 to 40.
Next year we will try a tournament!

The Sorceror's Stone in Danger!
While students were enjoying quidditch Professor Quirrell was making his way through the trap door and beneath the school to find the sorceror's stone.
Three students from each house had a chance to stop him. Each house went seperately and was timed.

Quirrell ponders how to get the stone...

1. Get Past Fluffy to go through the trap door
Students quickly figured out they needed to put Fluffy to sleep with music. Some sang, whistled, and one even played his i-pod!

2. Through the Devil's Snare
Struggling and panic only makes it worse. They carefully made their way through.

3. The Flying Keys
Images of flying keys were hung up. Once found they had a clue on the back that would help unlock the trunk.

4. The Chess Set
Once trunk was opened with the correct flying key students found a chess set inside. In order to proceed students had to correctly set it up.

5. The Potions Riddle
A riddle had to be solved in order to figure out which potion needed to be drank to let them pass to the next task. One potion was correct the others held other things, like poison (salt water).
Incorrect guesses resulting in 30 sec penalties.

6. Stop Quirrell!
Quirrel had to be caught in order for the stone to be saved. Three streamers hung from his shoulders. They had to be pulled off to end the challenge.

Gryffindor Wins House Cup!

For a first time in years Gryffindor wins the house cup.
Well done Gryffindor, well done.
Last year Hufflepuff won and in 2013 it was Slytherin.
The places this year were as follows:
1. Gryffindor
2. Hufflepuff
3. Ravenclaw
4. Slytherin
But lets remember the sorting hats advice and to not let the houses we are in divide us. It was just for fun!

The End of Term Leaving Feast
Thank you to all of those who brought in the delicious sweets and goodies, many of which were Harry Potter themed. Well done! It gave the house elves a break for the day.

Mischief Managed! This was another great year...next year's story line will be book 2.

Thank You to all the students of the School of Creativity and Wizardry. You made it fun and inspired me to go all out!

A Big Thank You to all of the Heads of Houses Helpers and Deputy Headmistress. This couldn't have happened without all of you!

1 Comment

Day 4-School of Creativity and Wizardry

6/5/2014

0 Comments

Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Remedial Potions...

During Herbology we learned about succulents and students choose from the variety provided and planted their own.
The amazing selection was purchased at Baldwin greenhouse for those of you who wish to get more or just browse a magical greenhouse.
J.K. Rowling doesn't miss a detail; Professor Sprout who teaches the Herbology is the head of Hufflepuff house. Each house is associated with one of the four elements. Students easily guessed which one Hufflepuff was.
In addition to the live plants some students chose to also create magical plants out of sculpey clay.

Creativity is Magic! This is the underlying theme of the camp. The ability to take materials and transform them with our imaginations and ideas is true magic. During the camp specific projects are introduced but students also free to take them in their own directions and also come up with new ideas and create them. Pictured is one Ravenclaw's brilliant idea that she created with the supplies in the room. Keys to the Weasley's Flying Car! Check out the student art gallery page to view more original pieces.

Snape could not be bothered to show up for remedial potions. Students practiced on their own for their snack break. This was a warm up before Advanced Potions tomorrow.

Care of Magical Creatures
Everyone seems to love all the creatures and animals that play a big role in the books and movies. After answering trivia questions about the different creatures (we do trivia during every lesson based on what we are studying) the class was free to sculpt whatever they wished with sculpey clay. Sculpey clay is a polymer clay that bakes hard in the oven. Some students created magical creatures while others made people, or magical items. Sculpey clay can be purchased at Jo-Ann's Fabric and Hobby Lobby. It comes in many colors.

We ended the day with a game of Wizarding Jeopardy. There were 6 Catergories: Book 1, HP Actors, Quidditch, What Number?, Magical Items, and Random.

The house placing at the end of the day were as follows: 1 Gryffindor 2 Ravenclaw 3 Hufflepuff 4 Slytherin

0 Comments

Day 3-School of Creativity and Wizardry

6/4/2014

2 Comments

Dueling, Divination,and Draco....Today was an interesting day!

"Time is making fools of us again". -Albus Dumbledore.

It is hard to believe we had the time to do so much in one day.
*We started off with a game of Deatheaters vs. Aurors with the parachute.

Students created handmade hardcover and softcover books to use during their different courses during the week or for personal use. Check out the student art gallery for more great creations!

We are creating Harry Potter keepsake shadow boxes. Some began transfiguring their shadow box today. Others worked on finishing their books and wands. Many took breaks to enjoy the common room.
(password: Lemon Drop)

We had various special guests today. Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco showed up to see the "dump of a school" (his words not mine) As a serving member of the board of governors, Lucius was concerned about his son's magical education. In this photo we see him pointing his wand at a Hufflepuff who had just made a snide remark about his hair.
Mr. Malfoy should be concerned about his son. He cast a lumos spell during dueling practice. Not very 'bright'. haha

Many Students signed up and participated in dueling club.
Bow to your opponent, wands at the ready, duel!

Screen printed shirts were made by magical house elves after class!

Professor Trewlaney showed up for her quirky divination class and taught the students how to use their 'inner eye' to see into the beyond. They used the crystal balls they made earlier in the day.

2 Comments

Day 2- School of Creativity and Wizardry

6/3/2014

0 Comments

We were visited by Professor Quirrell-shown here collapsed on the floor in fright. He had just informed us there was a troll in the dungeon. We all ran to investigate. The troll was quickly found and points were claimed for defeating her. Watch the short clip below!

The common room opened today.
(Password: Caput Draconus)
Students enjoyed wizard's chess, playing music, and just hanging out.

A busy day today at the School of Creativity and Wizardry.

*Students wrote and drew with their handmade quills. Some students made their own Hogwarts acceptance letters.

* Students attended charms class and practiced some of the basic spells. One Huffflepuff mastered the wingardium levosia charm and an apt Slytherin volunteered to have the Rictusempra spell cast on him.

Some students created their own broom pencils and tickets to the Hogwarts Express. We wondered and theorized if the first year is the only year that students receive this ticket as it is only mentioned the one time in the series.

Everyone worked hard all day on their projects!

0 Comments

Day 1-School of Creativity and Wizardry

6/3/2014

0 Comments

All 57 students were sorted into houses. They choose their own based on their personalities.

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities"- Albus Dumbledore.

Students will be competing for the house cup. Good deeds, trivia, and challenges will earn them points.

This year's camp is based around book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. Students gathered outside to use the parachute to throw into the air over a hundred "acceptance letters" to Hogwarts. Just like Harry they were desperate to see what was inside. The envelopes were filled with house points and special twists.

Students open up their envelopes to see what's inside!!

The Wand Chooses the Wizard

Or in this case the wizard creates the wand. After revisiting the wands of characters from the books, the magical cores, the woods these wands were made from and their significance, students had many options to create their own wand.

The materials transfigured were chopsticks, spools, various wood pieces, sculpey clay, paint and embellishments. See images below that show the various stages.

Check out the student art work section of the site to view more wonderful wand creations by these magical students.

0 Comments

Preparing the School of Creativity and Wizardry

6/3/2014

0 Comments

Just like at Hogwarts (think of the house elves) there is a lot of behind the scenes work done to make sure things to flow smoothly. Here are some images showing the process of getting ready.

It all starts with sorting through my vault (garage) where I store all my art teaching supplies and everything Harry Potter you see in class. Look around the classroom and try to imagine it all being in my garage in boxes! I do this often.

The room definitely needs some serious transfiguration.
The space needs to be transformed into a magical place that inspires creativity and celebrates the wonderful wizardry world that J.K. Rowling has created.

Look at the gallery below to see how the room begins to shape up with props I have created and bought, banners, paper, and posters!