Grade 7 and 8 students at Land O' Lakes Public School had a chance to break the ice while also learning how to trust one another during their first few weeks back at school.

In a special art project, students made plaster casts of their faces, which involved putting themselves into a vulnerable position. The students chose groups and each student in the group had the others make a negative mold of their face. This meant that each participant had to lie down and breathe out of straws while their peers covered their faces with plaster bandages. Once the molds were dried each student then made a positive cast from the original negative molds. The end result is 26 white plaster faces that now hang in the school’s main pod area and will be on display until Christmas.

Their teacher, Mr. Hull, said that the project, which is part of the casting curriculum for the students, is also a great trust exercise. “It's a great opportunity for the students to learn about the positive and negative elements of casting, the chemical reactions that take place, concepts of volume, as well as learning to trust the partners in their group.”

In addition to the mold making, students were asked to write biographies of themselves, which hang under their nameless faces. For many, the project was their first encounter with mold making, and it was also enjoyable for them because they had a chance to bond with their fellow students.

Hull said it was the first time he did this particular mold making project with students and he felt it was a huge success. “I am always amazed at how well the students respond to these hands-on cooperative, creative projects. Not only did they do all of the work themselves but they also did a great job.” Hull said the project works particularly well with older students who have the maturity to deal with being able to stay still for an extended length of time while breathing through straws.

Grade 8 student Leah-Anne said she “enjoyed the project and though having the plaster bandages on your face at first was a bit weird and at first scary, it was fun and interesting.” Grade 7 student Mariah said she also enjoyed the project and said it was her first time making a plaster face mask.

The project is attracting the attention of other students in the school, who often try to guess which face belongs to whom.

If the motto for the parent council at Land O' Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove is not “the show must go on”, it definitely should be. That was the case for the school's annual Fun Fair, which took place on May 22 despite some heavy downpours that in no way dampened the spirits of the hundreds who attended. The annual event, which is put on by the school’s parent council with the help of school staff, is a fundraiser for the school, and every year numerous local businesses, individuals and organizations donate their time, goods and skills to the event.

There were dozens of activities for kids, including wagon rides from Brian Skillen and his team of miniature horses Teddy and Tommy; cupcake decorating; crafts; fire hose demos with Central Frontenac's Station 4 volunteers; a hockey shoot out and giant sling shot; bouncy castles, duck and fish pond games and much more. The older crowd had a chance to shop for fresh baked goods and to bid on a number of silent auction items and theme baskets, and to dine out at BBQ chefs Fred Knapton and Laura Woods’ grill. New this year was live musical entertainment in the school gym, which included performances by the Granite Ridge High School band, the LOLPS Glee Club, local country crooner Mitch Barker and Sharbot Lake’s the Feral 5.

The funds raised this year will go towards helping to construct a covered outdoor sand play area for younger children at the school as well as to help purchase new team shirts for the school’s Timber Wolves. School Principal Emily Yanch said the event is important one for the small rural school, which relies on ongoing support from the local community. It is an opportunity for the parent council not only to raise funds for the school but also to give back to the community.

Last week students at Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove with a passion for art started up the second year of an extra-curricular art program at the school. The popular program, which first ran in 2011, is back this year thanks to a $800 grant from the Limestone Learning Foundation, which pays for the cost of all the materials and makes the program free for the students.

Grade 7/8 teacher Lee Hull, who is a trained illustrator/classical painter, and an award-winning artist in his own right, is again heading up the program, which he calls the Land O'Lakes Art Club. It is Hull's passion for painting that attracted the 24 budding young artists to the class this year and when I visited the school last week the students were just getting started.

Mr. Hull was demonstrating to the students how to hold their pencils and how to make rough gestural sketches of a draped plastic mannequin, which he positioned in the centre of the gym along with a large plant that he invited the students to include in their compositions. They were instructed to make four rough sketches and then to choose their favorite, which will be the foundation of a painting that each student will produce by the end of the course.

Each student was provided with their own easel, smock, paints, pencils, brushes and palette and canvas and the LLF grant also allowed Hull to purchase the plastic mannequin, which the class named Lola (Land O'Lakes Art Model). During the course the students will learn basic classical drawing and painting techniques, including how to make an effective composition, how to paint folds, and how to paint light and shadow. Hull is passing on to the students the classical drawing and painting techniques that he studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and also in Florence, Italy.

Hull said he enjoys the energy of the students. “These students are here because they are interested and excited about making art and the fact that they are giving up their free time to learn demonstrates that fact,” he said. Asked about the challenges of teaching students who may have no previous art background Hull said, “Classical techniques follow a predefined series of steps that are very straightforward. Basically you start with drawing a line and then defining the lights and darks by making gradations first from dark to light and then back again.” Hull said that when he last ran the class two years ago he was amazed and shocked by the quality of the work that the students produced. “The fact that you can teach them the steps so that they can then harness their creativity is an amazing thing.”

Hull's passion for painting is apparent in his very upbeat and energetic approach. He makes his way around the circle of easels, speaking to each student individually, giving them pointers and encouragement along the way. French teacher Max Campbell and parent Brett Hilder are assisting in the class and judging by the concentration and enthusiasm of the students, it looks as though there will be 24 very interesting paintings by the end of the 10-week course. The course will end with a final art show at the school.

Hull, who is not one to toot his own horn, has had numerous shows here and abroad, including in Italy and in Japan. A portrait he painted of former LOLPS staff member, Brian Robertson, earned him the second place award last year in the Kingston Art Council's portrait competition. Lee did say that he feels it is important to learn from someone who practises art themselves. “If I wanted to learn something new, like music or ceramics, I would definitely want to learn from someone who practices them.”

Hull continues to paint in his spare time and currently is working on a watercolour painting of an old barn.