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Vehicle Elective

Upper School boys in Dr. Robert McCallum’s elective were given a challenging task: build an electronic vehicle. They used Tinkercad software before learning how to 3D print the body of the car, which was designed to house an electronic power unit with gears. The challenge was to make a vehicle that can move and be programmed incorporating the mechanics of servos, torque, and gear ratios. They learned to code in Scratch or JavaScript using variables, constants, loops, and functions.

Adding the power unit to a 3D vehicle

Sixth Grade Artists Create Hockney-Inspired Photography Collages

Sixth graders in Dr. Robert McCallum’s art class studied the photography style of David Hockney as a reference for their photo art.

In the 1980s, Hockney was famous for his unique style of photo collages, which he referred to as ‘joiners.’ He used Polaroid 35mm color prints to cleverly compose patchworks of images.

Sixth graders pulled inspiration from Hockney for their photography collages. Students both photographed objects in their surrounding environment (including fellow students) and ventured outside the School building to take photographs using DSLR cameras. They used these photos as they compiled beautiful photo collages in the Hockney style. Boys will now start working on stop motion animations using DSLR cameras.

Kindergarteners Collaborate to Paint Underwater Scenes

After reading the book, Swimmy by Leo Leoni, kindergarten boys used tempera cakes to paint depictions of various underwater scenes. Working together in groups of four or five on each smaller painting, the boys also had to take into account where their artwork would fit when incorporated into the final compilation.

The sinks in the new art spaces meant the boys could really delve into color mixing and painting. While the large workspaces in the art room also provided the opportunity for boys to work collaboratively on these largescale art projects.

“Learning to work cooperatively with classmates is something we place great emphasis on in the art department. I was very pleased to see how well our youngest students were able to work in this manner. Their masterpiece certainly reflects this too!”

—Tara Parsons, Art Department Head

Exhibition of Works by Allen-Stevenson Professional Art Faculty

An Art Faculty Exhibition titled “Those Who Can, Teach” was on display for a month, beginning on February 5, 2020, thanks to the generosity of second-grade parents Meghan Carleton and Michael Young. The exhibit featured artwork created by the Allen-Stevenson art faculty: Tara Parsons, Alex Expósito, Julia Kunin, and Rob McCallum with ArtsAction Group. The boys are incredibly fortunate to benefit from the professional expertise of these incredibly talented art teachers.

In addition to a well-attended opening reception for parents, faculty and staff, the Upper School boys and some second-, fourth- and fifth-grade classes were able to take field trips to visit this special exhibit.