Sundae Horn

Freezing chilly snow/ Hot coco smells good to me/ Windows shining bright
Freezing chilly snow/ Hot coco smells good to me/ Windows shining bright
by Jesus Morales

I went to NCCAT

Art was hanging on the walls

Along with haiku

On Friday, January 20, the staff at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching hosted a small punch-and-cookies reception for Ocracoke School 4th graders and their parents. NCCAT was celebrating the new art exhibit adorning the entryway of their dining hall. The students had contributed beautiful paintings of trees, accompanied by original haiku poems.

“Haiku poetry is usually about nature and the seasons,” said Ocracoke School art teacher Kitty Mitchell. “And the students interpreted the seasons through trees.”

Haiku poems have

Five syllables, then seven

And then five again

 

David Styron and his tree haiku
David Styron and his tree haiku

Great art, plus writing

Across the curriculum –

Perfect for NCCAT

Along with the students’ artwork, Kitty, an accomplished artist, had three of her own nature paintings on display.

NCCAT staff members Nancy Leach and Regina O’Neal said that they’d wanted to collaborate with Kitty for a long time.

“Our new director, Elaine Franklin, is wonderful,” Nancy said. “She spends time on Ocracoke and checks on us. She encouraged us to do this project.” 

Nancy invited Kitty to bring some artwork to NCCAT, and asked if there was a particular group of students to start with. The tree/haiku pieces were an obvious first choice.

“We’d love to get more artwork,” Regina said. “Getting student art is all new, and funds are short, but we hope to do something like this on a larger scale eventually, for the whole community.”

Kids and parents came

Yummy cookies and red punch

Nice little party

 

Trees through the seasons

Beautiful art on display

Lovely poetry

Vanessa Lora below her tree haiku (at top)
Vanessa Lora below her tree haiku (at top)
Crispy and crunchy/ The sound of leaves fills the air/ Yellow, brown and gold
Crispy and crunchy/ The sound of leaves fills the air/ Yellow, brown and gold
by James C. Paul III
Samantha Sutton and her tree haiku
Samantha Sutton and her tree haiku
Emily Contreras and her haiku tree
Emily Contreras and her haiku tree