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The LITTLE things in life can make a BIG difference. Have a Heart …. YES…. Have a HEART!!

School:: Sunrise Elementary School
Subject:: Art
Teacher:: Janice M. Posluszny
Students Impacted:: 450
Grade:: Pre K - 5
Date:: September 12, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

FUTURES Foundation - $567.04

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 350

This positive have a heart lesson was a huge artistic success for students at every grade level. Students viewed the process from beginning to end with great excitement. They engaged in the process of viewing the technique to cut a slab of clay. There were a lot of oooo’s and aaaa’s. Some students needed assistance with their words to be painted when the clay had texture. They were provided with texture board and safe tools like pencils, Legos, brittle rings, marker caps and paper clips to make designs into the clay. They were provided so many vibrant colors of paint that everyone was smiling and created beautiful unique hearts. I notified schoolwide families and staff locations that large quantities of donated hearts were sent and displayed on class Dojo with photos. These locations were three schools. One was a prior school in Ocean Gate New Jersey where my mentor teaches kindergarten. Another was my daughter’s school where she is a speech therapist at Hammonton Early Childhood Education Center. The third was to art teacher Mrs. Heather Cunningham at Spruce Creek Elementary. Without her kiln and generosity of time this project would not have been completed. Every teacher and staff member at Sunrise Elementary will also receive a heart in their mailbox next week after all are clear sprayed. I will also be bringing a batch to Deltona Fire department and Deltona Police Department to show our respect for their commitment to our community. Other batches will be brought to local nursing homes. The final hearts will be hidden at a local park like Volusia Rocks and posted on class Dojo for students and community to enjoy locating.

While this grant was truly successful for my students to enjoy a new element in art there were many obstacles, I as a teacher needed to complete on time for FUTURES. I was one of the last schools to be visited with the funding compared to the previous years at a banquet. Sunrise school did not have a FUTURES account to deposit funds, and it took weeks to be deposited. Then funds became available just prior to Winter break. I could not order and have materials sent when school was not in session. Then I requested clay from warehouse and was told many weeks that it was on its way from school bookkeeper. I then contacted warehouse and was told the red clay was backordered and unknown date available. He stated that white clay was available. I changed order and received two days later. The goal was to stagger the class levels week by week but was overloaded to double or triple up. Then I had my art supervisor Mr. Hammond assist to demonstrate my kiln process. We discovered that the circuit breaker needed repair. After a couple weeks Volusia schools maintenance repaired. I completed a couple batches then district changed kiln procedures to be completed during school hours to be present. The next batch was during school hours. The electric line blew and took out parts of the lunchroom fans and maintenance bathroom and teacher lounge. I believe due to kitchen cooking at same time? All electric was repaired but my kiln line. I packed up 350 hearts in separate boxes labeled by day and grade and drove to Port Orange. On teacher duty day I went back to Spruce Creek Elementary and helped unload the kiln and loaded up 16 boxes. Without Mrs. Heather Cunningham using a week of her prep this would never have been accomplished. I stayed until 5 pm that day to place all hearts on the labeled students wax paper to be ready to paint after spring break. Even though it had many obstacles and am completely grateful for the funding. I value art and inspiring students of all ages. Some of my students that struggle with other art materials really excelled with clay. Without FUTURES, my student would never have experienced this act of kindness based on the school funding. Thank you for having a heart. Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!!!!!

Original Grant Overview

Goal

This positive have a heart lesson will include a schoolwide clay lesson to support the 4C’s. Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration in school. It will provide opportunities for families to meet and establishments to recognize that Sunrise Elementary students have a HEART! Each student from Prek-5th grade, approximately 450 students, will design a clay heart to take and a clay heart to give. The pasta alphabet noodles will spell out their choice of positive empathic encouragement. Acts of compassion words may be love, family, joy, togetherness, memories, time, faith, positive, awesome, dance, sing, etc. The clay lesson will rotate bi weekly by grade level to maintain a safe learning environment. The hearts will require space to dry prior to kiln firing

What will be done with my students

The teacher will demonstrate how simple acts of kindness can brighten others in school, community and in health care settings. Bridging school and community in several manners. By fostering a positive learning environment, the teacher will engage in group discussions about how there are people that are less fortunate in health, family, or society. We as a community can create these empathetic hearts to distribute and hide in various locations. Group discussions will focus on when little acts of kindness, pleasant words or compliments have increased their positive feelings in themselves. How in the past a small thing changed their frown to be turned upside down. Other topics can be generated on family events, community gatherings, or school functions. How joining together with others forms positive bonds in their life. Those little things can make a big difference. Just a pleasant hello and a smile.
After the heart with the pasta words has been dried and, in the kiln, the pasta disappears, and the indentation remains in the heart. My art room every year begins with a whole school collaboration project to represent each student in the art room. Instilling the value of each student as promising artists for the year.
I would love for my students to know that we all can branch out and make a difference and circulate these hearts around Florida. To work almost like Flat Stanley events. Some will also be mailed to my previous schools in New Jersey Hearts will be hidden in parks, beaches and near stores. They will be photographed and posted on our school sites for families to try to find. We can also occasionally create a schoolwide notification of locations and days hearts will be left to discover. This will be like the Volusia County rocks. They will be placed on a small, decorated bag with our school’s name on and HAVE A HEART!
The younger students will paint with acrylic paint to explore the mixing of colors and painting their hearts with a true visual of color. They will be sealed with a clear spray. Clay slip paints are not the realistic form until after the second fire has been implemented. Each student will decorate a small bag for the Heart to give. If provided with this opportunity I will also contact various establishments such as nursing homes, heart doctor offices, and pediatric hospital wings. These hearts will be placed inside of the bag for recipients to open as a small gift.

Benefits to my students

This will connect each student, each class and community to form a bond and memories to last a lifetime.
The LITTLE things in life can make a BIG difference. Have a Heart …. YES…. Have a HEART!!ELD.K12.ELL.SI.1 English language learners communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.
HE.K12.B.5.3 Recognize the consequences of not following rules/practices when making healthy and safe decisions. Remarks/Examples: Injury to self and/or others.
LAFS.K12.SL.1.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and text, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
LAFS.K12.SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
LAFS.K12.SL.2.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
MAFS.K12.G.1.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
MAFS.K12.G.1.3 Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, flat) or three-dimensional (solid).
MAFS.K12.G.2.4 Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/corners) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).
MAFS.K12.MD.1.2 Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has more of/less of the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.
SC.K12.N.1.4 Observe and create a visual representation of an object which includes its major features.
SC.K12.P.9.1 Recognize that the shape of materials such as paper and clay can be changed by cutting, tearing, crumpling, smashing, or rolling.
MAFS.K12.MP.5.1: Use appropriate tools strategically.
MAFS.K12.MP.6.1: Attend to precision.
MAFS.K12.MP.7.1: Look for and make use of structure.

LAFS.3.SL.1.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and text, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.

VA. K-12. C.1: Cognition and reflection are required to appreciate, interpret, and create with artistic intent.

VA. K-12. C. 2 : Assessing our own and other’ artistic work, through critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making, is central to artistic growth.

VA. k-12. C. 3 : The processes of critiquing works of art led to development of critical-thinking skills transferrable to other contexts.

VA.K-12.O.3 : Every art form uses its own unique language, verbal and non-verbal, to document and communicate with the world.

VA. K-12. H.3 Connections among the arts and other disciplines strengthen learning and the ability to transfer knowledge and skills to and from other fields.

Budget Narrative

All items are ordered through amazon except for the clay through our school warehouse Mr. Antonio King.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	4 pk Reynolds wax paper	$17.00
2	14 color acrylic paint set	$55.99
3	madsi washable markers 288 pack	$38.98
4	Crayola Colored pencils 240 count	$35.99
5	Paper sandwich bags 1000	$39.95
6	Goya alphabet pasta letters pack of 20	$15.77
7	Krylon Glaze spray 2	$6.47
8	Speedball underglaze 12 color 2 packs	$164.89
9	Warehouse clay 24 bags	$162.00
10	mail costs	$30.00
	Total:	$567.04