Teaching RESPECT
teaching RESPECT through painting and singing
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A folksinger/painter husband and wife team this past fall helped unite an Oconto Falls school by painting an all-school mural. The artistic team was brought in to help teach respect. As artists Skip Jones and Judy Gosz say,” When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts the circle of creation is completed inside of us and the doors of our souls fly open and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.” Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network reports. |
Skip Jones and Judy Gosz helped an entire school paint a mural because they want to help the children avoid bullying and they feel painting and singing together helps teach respect.
and looking like Santa Claus helps unfold hearts
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Almost every week another report hits about violence in our schools.
But an art instructor at an Oconto Falls elementary school came up with remedy.
Take five sheets of plywood, get some paint and brushes, a design, and get everyone involved.
Painter Judy Gosz explains what she told the students, when they embarked on painting a mural.
“And I said your teacher had a vision. She wanted to make a mural for the school to promote a more respectful world. Those were her words to me and she asked me if I could do it. And I said I couldn’t do it alone and she said the whole school would help. And I asked each class as they came in. And they said “Oh, yes, there were willing to help, there were more than ready.”
Standing near the kitchen table Judy Gosz unrolls a long, narrow sheet of vellum paper, showing a mockup of the all-school mural. On the left edge you see a yellow school bus, dropping off students hand in hand near the green school yard. The entire school, students, faculty and support staff link hand in hand. Their circle extends up and around the school entrance, underneath a rainbow.
“And so I explained why the top of the hill is darker than the top of the hill. Because if we put yellow in the foreground it gives the illusion of being closer. And the blue-greens on the top of the hill gives us an impression of it being farther away. And I said the older children will each make an individual portrait. And that’s what they did. The older students drew an individual portrait of themselves.”
The border is surrounded by kindergarten and first grade handprints.
“And each handprint has something individual. You can’t really see it on this tiny little thing that I have. But they have something in their hand, some of them made designs, scratch in little figures, so that they knew, they could come back and say that’s my handprint.”
Sitting at the kitchen table, is Judy’s husband Skip Jones. He’s got a full white beard and wears a red and white t-shirt, bearing the words RESPECT. He sang with the children at school.
“And I think of the thing that I believed when we started the project and has become true is because it’s something the kids can go look at. Something that the teachers can say, hey, we’re having a little problem with bullying on the playground and take the people involved and sit down and look at that mural and say, Hey, what were doing, what’s your part in this, what’s your image, and the kids all know.”
Violence on the T V screen every night. 130 people blown up in the latest car bombing in Baghdad, Columbine, Red Lake, a school attack intercepted in Green Bay, a swat team arrives at Lakeland Union in Minocqua….
War is upon us and our children, whether we want it or not.
Judy Gosz.
“They’re distressed about that. And I’ll say, you know, we have the opportunity here, at least, we might be able to change the entire world and stop all the wars, but right here in the school we can stop the war between ourselves.”
More than five hundred self portraits grace the mural. Only one small container of paint was spilled during the entire project.
“Every single child painted with respect and honor.”
Parents came into school to help clean the brushes. Some parents left work to see the unveiling.
“One mother said to me at the unveiling I got this call from my son I was at work, he said, “Mom, you have to come, you have to come, you have to leave work, this is our mural, and she said, I didn’t have any choice, and she said it is amazing, what more can you do, you hope you leave residue, that the children remember that, and try and use their manners, and try and be kind to one another, and try and negotiate… and this will remind them.”
I’m Nick Vander Puy for the Superior Broadcast Network.
to learn more about this wonderful couple, visit their web sites
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