41 students contribute to district Christmas card
How did a lesson on ear health turn into the Hattiesburg Public School District’s student-created Christmas card? It all had to do with Vincent van Gogh.
Earlier this year, Diane Ellzey, coordinator of the district’s smART program, came up with the idea for a lesson on van Gogh’s 1889 painting “Starry Night” along with some advice on ear health.
The smART program combines art with healthy living lessons for students in grades K-6.
Ellzey had the kids draw replicas of “Starry Night.” They also got to look at van Gogh’s self-portrait, which features his bandaged ear.
“We told them that it was injured,” Ellzey said. “If they wanted to, they could research it further.”
Van Gogh drew “Starry Night” in the aftermath of his December 1888 breakdown that resulted in the self-mutilation of his left ear. It was then he voluntarily admitted himself to an asylum where he saw the landscape for “Starry Night” outside his second-story window.
Ellzey had the smART facilitator at each elementary school talk to the students about taking care of their ears.
“Kids are wearing headphones so much — make sure the volume is not too loud or it will damage your hearing,” Ellzey said. “Don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.”
When it came time to design the district’s student-created Christmas card, Ellzey was stumped.
“I really liked the last couple’s years cards, and how could I top that?” she said.
In 2012, the card had featured a wreath made with brightly colored cut-out vegetables. Last year’s card had about a dozen Christmas trees with different tops and bottoms.
Ellzey wanted to do something along the same lines this year — a card that featured art from as many students as possible.
“I decided to do a spoof on “Starry Night” — one of the most recognized paintings in the world,” she said.
Except Ellzey would have the children draw Santa and his reindeer, so they could fly across van Gogh’s night sky.
Ellzey selected fifth- and sixth-graders from Woodley and Thames elementary schools to draw portions of the “Starry Night.” A few students were asked to draw Santa and his reindeer. Then everything was put together to form the picture for the district’s Christmas card.
Woodley fifth-grader Adamari Posadas, 10, said he didn’t expect to be asked to help with the card.
“I thought it was surprising that they picked fifth-grade Woodley and another school to do the card,” he said. “It made me feel good to know I was doing something for the district.”
District communications director Jas N Smith said the student-created Christmas card is not only a holiday greeting, but also an advertisement for the district.
“It’s another way we can give just a little peek into what (the students) are learning, especially in the smART program,which is one of my favorite things we’re doing in the district,” he said.
Superintendent James Bacchus was the one who came up with the idea to use the smART students to make the Christmas card.
“We want to make sure that we display as much as possible the creativity our students have,” he said. “Also, for it to be a learning experience and that’s why we frame it through the smART art.”
In the end, 41 students contributed to the card.
Smith said the student-created card seems to put everyone in the Christmas spirit.
“The response from the community and staff has been good,” he said. “Parents are excited to see their student’s name on the back of the card and their art featured on the card.
“We have a number of students involved and they can have pride in sending their art out. These cards are great.”