Stitches, Stories and a Few Friendly Monsters

A creative collaboration between two GJPS schools recently brought together some of our youngest learners and some of our most experienced middle school artists in the most heartwarming way.

Mrs. Gladieux, art teacher at Middle School East, was planning a fun sewing project for her 8th grade art classes during the third quarter and had an idea to make it even more meaningful. She reached out to Mrs. Stahly, art teacher at High Point Elementary, to see if her kindergarten students might be willing to help create the inspiration. Two kindergarten classes happily jumped in, painting colorful monsters and creatures that would later become the blueprint for a special art project. The teachers coordinated class sizes so the kindergarten students would receive their original painting back along with a one-of-a-kind plushie.

Back at Middle School East, 8th grade artists got to work bringing the kindergarten masterpieces to life. Students studied the paintings to select fabric and thread, learned new stitches and carefully stuffed and embellished their creations. Each plushie was designed to match the imagination and personality of the original artwork.

At the end of the quarter, the project came full circle. The 8th graders took a walking field trip to High Point Elementary to personally deliver the finished plushies along with the original paintings. Kindergarten students were thrilled to meet their middle school artists and even shared handmade books they had created to read to their new friends. Mrs. Stahly also stopped by to reconnect with some of her former students now attending Middle School East.