The Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville program that has steadily gained momentum since January 2018 has reached a critical milestone. The students from Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville realized a dream when they came to Paris to spend eight days discovering the city and meeting their French counterparts at the Jean Zay Elementary School.
The Knoxville kids and their families arrived on Friday, October 5th and kicked off their trip with an outdoor reception at the Jardin Atlantique in the 14th arrondissement. This man-made garden lies atop the Montparnasse train station. It is only a few blocks from Jean Zay Elementary School.
Nature's Way children at Jardin Atlantique
© Wells International Foundation
Enjoying the garden
© Wells International Foundation
Parents, grandparents, kids, and organizers having a good time
© Wells International Foundation
Saturday and Sunday were reserved for sightseeing and whatever rest the families could muster, given their anticipation of what was planned for the coming week.
On Monday, October 8th, five days of activity with the Jean Zay students began. That evening, the town hall of the 14th arrondissement welcomed the families from Jean Zay and Nature's Way with a reception to open the art exhibition of the students' work. This was held in the Salle de Mariage, the room where civil wedding ceremonies are performed.
Families seated in the Salle de Mariage
© Wells International Foundation
Featured were mixed media works by the Nature's Way children about traveling from Knoxville to Paris,
Nature's Way mixed-media works about travel to Paris
© Wells International Foundation
figurative portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and copies of Beauford's portrait of Charlie Parker by the Nature's Way children,
Nature's Way portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Wells International Foundation
Nature's Way works inspired by Charlie Parker (1968)
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Greece by the Nature's Way children,
Nature's Way works inspired inspired by Greece (1967)
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Les Embruns and an untitled abstract by Beauford by the Jean Zay children,
Jean Zay works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
Jean Zay works inspired by untitled abstract
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works copied from Beauford's Untitled (Trees) by students at both schools,
Jean Zay (left) and Nature's Way (right) students' copies of Untitled (Trees)
© Wells International Foundation
and red clay busts of Josephine Baker by the Jean Zay children.
Jean Zay students' busts of Josephine Baker and
works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
The kids met each other for the first time and got along smashingly well!
Nature's Way and Jean Zay students at town hall
© Wells International Foundation
On Tuesday, October 9th, the children met at Jean Zay for a portrait session. One child from each school sat opposite the other at a desk and sketched, then painted, the other student's portrait. The educators who supervised this activity were stunned by the silence and intense concentration that the students exhibited during this exercise!
Portrait session - Chaïness and Sarah
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait session - Andrew and Timothée
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait session - Mia and Aurlane
© Wells International Foundation
MaKenna by Iris
© Wells International Foundation
Read about the rest of the week's activities by clicking HERE.
The Knoxville kids and their families arrived on Friday, October 5th and kicked off their trip with an outdoor reception at the Jardin Atlantique in the 14th arrondissement. This man-made garden lies atop the Montparnasse train station. It is only a few blocks from Jean Zay Elementary School.
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
Saturday and Sunday were reserved for sightseeing and whatever rest the families could muster, given their anticipation of what was planned for the coming week.
On Monday, October 8th, five days of activity with the Jean Zay students began. That evening, the town hall of the 14th arrondissement welcomed the families from Jean Zay and Nature's Way with a reception to open the art exhibition of the students' work. This was held in the Salle de Mariage, the room where civil wedding ceremonies are performed.
© Wells International Foundation
Featured were mixed media works by the Nature's Way children about traveling from Knoxville to Paris,
© Wells International Foundation
figurative portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and copies of Beauford's portrait of Charlie Parker by the Nature's Way children,
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Greece by the Nature's Way children,
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Les Embruns and an untitled abstract by Beauford by the Jean Zay children,
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works copied from Beauford's Untitled (Trees) by students at both schools,
© Wells International Foundation
and red clay busts of Josephine Baker by the Jean Zay children.
works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
The kids met each other for the first time and got along smashingly well!
© Wells International Foundation
On Tuesday, October 9th, the children met at Jean Zay for a portrait session. One child from each school sat opposite the other at a desk and sketched, then painted, the other student's portrait. The educators who supervised this activity were stunned by the silence and intense concentration that the students exhibited during this exercise!
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
Read about the rest of the week's activities by clicking HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment