Today, North High had its annual Chalk Walk, which leads up to our Celebration of the Arts. First off, the art teachers are great and supportive of students. Some of the kids have less-than-stellar talents when it comes to art, but that doesn’t matter. The teachers find something good about the effort and build from there. Yeah, it’s not an essay or writing or a math equation, but there’s something to be said about finding success and building on it.
I wish I had taken a bunch of pictures of what the students produce. The themes don’t really matter, but there was one this year, as there always is–What A Wonderful World. I write that they don’t really matter because once the piece is done, you can justify about any way you want. But, the reason I wish I had taken a bunch of pictures is that students produce really good things. Mind you, these are the bulky pieces of colored chalk you had as a kid, on a beautiful concrete canvas (part of our campus quad, complete with circles of old gum), and some of the art produced is of a high quality.
Hence, a Chalk Walk, outside the library, around the K-Wing, and into the quad that stretches toward the administration building. It’s cool.
When I taught Creative Writing, I had a bunch of good kids and a bunch of kids who were there to make up English credit. However, some of my better writers, when they actually put pen to paper, were the kids who were making up credit. They were creative because they didn’t care about the grade, but about what they wanted to write. I put out a magazine every year with art from North High kids and was always amazed at the wide range of talents kids have. Those mags had students from every type of level in every grade. When I come across one here and there, I’m always reminded of what kids are capable of when given a chance and a canvas.
And I’m not going anywhere with this. Former students will be happy to know that this tradition still continues. The Barnards are always there, Delgado, Russell, encouraging kids, being positive, but letting their students create their yearly, tangible product that not only represents our school’s art program, but the shared efforts of all involved. The adults are the reason it goes so smoothly, but the kids–hundreds of them–are the stars of this day.
Diego Rivera would be proud of this day. Congratulations to everyone. Let’s do it on all our white walls next time. https://youtu.be/yfYZFS7JvT0