Page 7 - FIS World May 2019

burpees, and lunges incorporated into the circuits and as Ms. Mookerjee noted, “You’ll be surprised to see what your body is capable of.” Ms. Mookerjee al- ways previewed the exercises, but most importantly, always provided different levels of difficulty. You choose your pace and intensity and everyone works at their own level – mine being the “over 40 and easily injured” level. The class flies by and since each one is different, it’s hard to fear the next exercise when you don’t know what it is! The other great aspect of the class is that it is just as much a mental challenge as a physical one; you have to be completely focused. Ms. Mookerjee’s goal is to “create a safe, non-judg- mental environment for students to push their fit- ness boundaries,”and I definitely felt more powerful after class. But, oh my QUAD, I was sore!
The Rembrandt Code
To me, drawing is just like folding a fitted sheet; you can explain it to me a hundred times, but I just don’t get it. So, naturally I had to try REAL’s Drawing Realism class. I popped by the afternoon class which was for participants in Grade 6 through Adult; an adult only class is also offered in the morning. At my first class, we looked at some portraits selected by our teacher, Guus Floor. He asked us if we could identify the art- ist. Proudly, I was the only one who could correctly identify the portraits as Rembrandt’s work. Teacher’s Pet! But, sadly not for long.
Next, we each selected a monochromatic portrait to
try and recreate. After my fellow classmate selected “the guy who looks like Dumbledore,”Mr. Floor showed us how to break down the portrait into a series of measurements based on the size of the subject’s head. At this point, I was thinking we were learning less how to draw and more how to see. Now, I saw my portrait broken down into a series of measurement points that connected to create the major forms in
the portrait. My feelings were solidified by my fel- low classmate Vienna who told me she enjoyed the class because it provided “different ways of looking at art.”Despite the fact that my sketch looked less like Rembrandt and more Picasso, I did enjoy the class for its calming effect. For one hour, you completely forget about your to-do list and just concentrate on your work. It was a sensation I was not used to. I may not have my work shown in galleries anytime soon, but I gained a new way of calming and relaxation.
A New Dimension to Learning
For my final class to survey, I selected Design and 3D Printing, which currently is a student-only offering. I thought this would be a great challenge for me be- cause I can never figure out my home printer and why I can’t print in black and white when cyan is low. This class provides students with the skills to make their own 3D printed designs using TinkerCAD, an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program. What is so in- teresting about this class is that students gain an un- derstanding of the design and manufacturing pro-
cess from concept to completion. Zach Woodburn, Upper School Design Technology Assistant, who co-teaches the class with Upper School Design and Technology teacher Robin McIntosh noted, “One of the best things about this class is that we’re able to create a whole new level of engagement and inter- action as students bring their designs to life.”
During my class, students were asked to create an ob- ject to hold a small LED light. It was evident that the students were thinking creatively and since this was an after school class, they were free to think up and explore a range of possibilities and take more risks.
I have to say, I was really glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and explored new areas through the REAL program. Uncertainty is uncomfortable, but it can be the starting point to something great.
Juliette Gustavsson
FIS Parent
REAL After School Activities are offered during three separate terms throughout the school year. For more information, including course brochures, please visit www.fis.edu/real or scan the QR code at right.
Discovering new perspectives in
Mr. Floor’s Drawing Realism class
May 2019 FIS World 5