Each spring, The Maddux School is transformed into a colorful celebration of creativity, imagination, and learning for the Annual Arts & Literacy Festival. This much-anticipated event showcases student work from across the school year, highlighting integrated learning that blends visual art, literacy, and social studies in a beautiful gallery-style display.
The festival is directly linked to the school’s original Social Studies curriculum, which grows in scope as students progress through the grades. PreK students begin with a personal exploration of self, family, and community. In Kindergarten, the focus expands to the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. First graders venture across the five regions of the United States, while second graders go global, exploring all seven continents.
This year’s festival featured 28 unique art pieces, each one inspired by celebrated artists such as Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent van Gogh, and Wassily Kandinsky. Students used these influences to explore artistic expression through a variety of materials and techniques. Notable projects included PreK mailbox collages inspired by Henri Matisse, Kindergarten American flag prints modeled after the work of Jasper Johns, 1st grade clay pots celebrating the Southwest region of the U.S. inspired by Maria Martinez, and 2nd grade handmade paper beads drawing from the vibrant beadwork of the Maasai culture in Africa.
Literacy projects complemented the visual art and were tailored to each classroom’s theme. Students created works like an All About Cherry Blossoms book, personal travel letters, and poetry on fish found in the Great Barrier Reef. These writing pieces brought additional depth to the students’ social studies journeys and offered personal reflections on the topics they explored.
Learn more about how The Maddux School pairs social learning and academics by revisiting last year’s Arts & Literacy Festival article & watch our “Power of Play” video to see how Maddux staff expertly facilitate meaningful, play-based learning experiences.
