Art-to-Art sharing

Matthew with "Brown Monkey" mask...such a sweetheart

The play went wonderfully today!  Everyone and their families and friends came out today to support the lovelies: Liam, Michael, Ewan, Peri, Graylin, and Matthew.  The kids put on a GREAT show.  While Elisabeth stayed behind the "curtain" to help them get on stage, Jordan and I stood on the sidelines playing different percussion instruments, bells and kazoos while Donovan narrated the story.  At the end, everyone erupted in satisfying applause and I wanted to cry because I was so happy and excited.  They did so well and I have never felt so accomplished before.  It was a great learning experience and I learned a lot about teaching art and teaching it to individuals with autism.

The high school volunteers were also such great sports through the whole experience.  For most, it was their first time ever working with kids with autism and I don't know if they knew what they were getting themselves into exactly.  That is to say, I don't think they knew how much FUN they were getting themselves into.  They really took responsibility for making everyone feel comfortable and happy and these pictures below represent the culmination of great effort, communication, enthusiasm and friendship between a bunch of crazy (in the best way) people:

Backstage "pow-wow" before the start of the show

"Tiger" scares and picks on "Brown Monkey"

Pikachu uses his "good-natured powers" to put "Tiger" in his place

"Frank", "Zeus" and "Jazzy" the Cat on stage

Group dance party at the finale

Parade around the University Mall...we're such show offs!

Donavan leading the play with upbeat, can't-resist-the-urge-to-dance drumming

Me and Elisabeth holding the arms of a GIANT puppet we did not make

Ewan posing for a good-bye photo

THE END

Paperhand Puppet Intervention...with a twist

via paperhand.org

Autsim + Art + Drama + Puppets = FUN FUN FUN!

Needless to say, after going to my first Paperhand Intervention Autism group, I feel happy (Today we played a game where we had to fill the blank in with an emotion we were feeling).

This is definitely the beginning of something great, especially since I will be getting a chance to take some charge and leadership initiative in the group, as one of the few "Autism-experienced" volunteers.  I am so thankful for getting to do this every Monday for the rest of the academic year because, honestly, I don't think I could survive without even the smallest exposure to camp friends and autism every week.

--Off to work on a paper about bonsai trees and miniature plants

Love,

Monica

I'm back

I just rolled into Elon after spending a week and a half in MD for Christmas, a week working and New Year's at Camp Royall and some change at David's house catching up on sleep.  Getting my textbooks for my winter term class (Plants and Civilization) was an interesting experience because one of the books is a cookbook full of delicious recipes!  Maybe our homework will be to cook (doubtful).  What is more likely is that I will be reading and writing a lot of papers because class only lasts about three weeks and I have four good-sized textbooks from which to read.

In other news, the fish are alive and Orange is EVEN bigger than I remembered.  With the Christmas money my parents gave me, I will be able to buy them a bigger tank for their long futures (koi can live many, many, many years).  And in one short week, I will be starting a 12-week long Autism volunteer-ship in Chapel Hill.  The program I will be volunteering with is called "Art-to-Art" and is the drama program run in collaboration with the Art Therapy Institute of Chapel Hill, the ArtsCenter and Paperhand Puppet Intervention (I'm pretty sure that the phrase "paperhand puppet intervention" sums it up).  I am soooo excited!

Okay, now off to clean my room and read for tomorrow's class (I don't think teachers should be allowed to assign homework before the term has even started).

Love,

Monica