Tikkun Olam Collaboration

Our second week of school, K-3 students were hard at work learning about one of our Jewish values: Tikkun Olam (which means repairing or taking care of the Earth)

As you know, we collected items that you would otherwise throw away. Those items were put into a pile in the middle room and the 2/3 graders taught us that nearly every single item could be either recycled or reused by someone else (In fact, Mrs. Komisarski now has a tool for weeding her garden thanks to this project!). 

I made the picture as large as I could so you could see the different designations for each bin. The older kids did a fabulous job explaining why recycling these items is so important and useful!

The students got into groups of 3-4 in which the 2/3 graders helped the younger students sort through the trash and put it in the correct locations.

Then, using inspiration from the assemblage artist Louise Nevelson, each group was given a box lid and instructed to choose objects to fill it. Assemblage is a type of art consisting of three-dimensional objects that are put together and stick out from a flat surface. An assemblage typically uses 'found objects'.

The next day, the 2nd graders directed their team members to fastening their objects to the lids (via zip ties, drippy glue, or hot glue that was done by a teacher) in a way that they all liked.

It was so fun to hear all of the collaborating and teamwork happening!

The teachers spray painted each piece bronze and hung them in the main hallway of the school. 

Here is a piece that Louise Nevelson created: 

And here is the finished work of art the students made:

It's hard to believe that every item up there used to be trash. Now it is a masterpiece! How cool!

The artwork was on display for Friday's welcoming ceremony in which the kindergarten students sang a lovely song with the older students and were presented with this book:

Here are the newest members of the Hillel family!

(I have to admit, I am pretty excited that I was able to get a photo of 11 kindergartners in which all of them are looking in the same direction! Small victories!)

It is going to be a very fun year!