The middle school classes this year worked together to make a Harry Potter themed board. They pomped a massive field as their centerpiece, using a clever mix of lime green and yellow to really sell the effect. The right side of their board displayed a train modeled after the Hogwarts Express, the words Westminster Express detailed in gold on its front. The left side showed a hallway, complete with floating candles and teacher portraits.  Large cardboard cutout of Harry Potter himself stood in front of the board, tying it all together quite nicely.

The freshman class did an exceptional job this year on their Alice in Wonderland themed board. Following their success last year, they produced a similarly stunning piece. With a large number of students on their team, they were able to paint and sculpt lots of details and characters for their board. They forgoed pomping the majority of the left and right sides, showing that the age-old tradition of putting tiny pieces of tissue paper into the wire slots is not necessary for a successful piece. A massive keyhole was the border for a massive painted scene, showcasing many places and characters from the book. They also placed some characters on top of their board, such as the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit, along with a large title card that clearly stated their theme. A massive cardboard Alice was affixed to the right side, painted as though falling amongst various paraphernalia.

The sophomores this year showed great tenacity in their final few days of working on their Percy Jackson art board. Despite slow beginnings, they were able to pull their board together and really put their creative talent on display. They unfortunately had very few workers this year, likely stolen away by honors chem homework. However, they stayed true in the face of these hardships and went to work, painting replicas of the Statue of Liberty and the Arch, and painting their main character, Percy Jackson. They covered the sides of their board with paper, similar to the freshman, and designed murals representing the characters’ journey.

On their Very Hungry Caterpillar art board, the juniors this year tried a different approach from years past. They draped a massive cloth over their art board, instead of pomping the entire thing. This was a wise choice, considering their small workforce. They also focused heavily on painting and paper this year, with about a dozen painted foods and a pair of sculpted paper trees. These trees served as the frames for the board, with intertwined branches reaching overtop the board and around the edges. They painted every single food item eaten in the book and hung them in order across their board, a veritable buffet of art. Their colored tableaus were all designed in the style of Eric Carle, the artist of the book, in order to stay as close to the source material as possible. A large, adorable paper caterpillar hung down over the board, the mascot of their book clearly on display. A butterfly was set above the scene, showing the caterpillar’s transformation and colorful ascent.

For their The Lorax board, the seniors really showed their creativity. The right side was a massive forest, colorful and vibrant, the Lorax himself standing at the center. However, the middle section revealed a massive Thneed factory, using the trees as fuel for their polluting endeavors. The factory was not flat against the board, it actually stuck out, giving it a three-dimensional twist. On the left was a dessicated landscape, with a single dirt road twisting towards the horizon, showing the scale of destruction. The trees were designed with colorful cotton balls and painted cardboard trunks, while the factory was made of mostly muddy brown paper, creating a real conflict between the vibrant color of one side versus the depressing lack thereof on the other. A couple printed quotes from the book sat near the factory, warning of the dangers of pollution and ignorance of the environment.

Overall, all grades did an exceptional job, and most decided to avoid large amounts of pomping, which allows for extra time to work on details and painting. I cannot wait to see what these talented students will do next year.