Byam Elementary School teacher Amy Brown attaches dots created by students in her classes to a bulletin board in the school lobby.
by Jen Oemig
CHELMSFORD – International Dot Day falls on Monday, Sept. 15, and students at Byam Elementary School in Chelmsford have been busy creating for the occasion.
As soon as you walk into the lobby, there’s a giant bulletin board covered in dots that were handmade by students; Byam Elementary School art teacher Amy Brown has been adding to it since the first day of school.
Each of the dots represents something unique about the student who created it using markers, pens, crayons, colored pencils and other items found in Brown’s classroom. Some of them chose to draw self-portraits, others created colorful patterns and a few opted to depict their favorite movie characters.
“The Dot” is a book, written by Chelmsford native Peter H. Reynolds, that tells the story about a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark.”
“I love that I can read ‘The Dot’ to a kindergartener all the way up to fourth grade so we can start the year with sort of a unified theme,” Brown said. “It’s a great way to remind kids that … there are no mistakes in the art room. No matter what they do, they are making art.”
Brown said she has celebrated International Dot Day in her classroom numerous times over the last 20 years.
“It just works out so well for the beginning of the year,” she said. “It’s something for all the kids to work on together and feel like they’re a part of something.”
The last time Brown said she brought “The Dot” into the classroom was a few years ago.
“The kids who are now fourth graders did it when they were in either kindergarten or first grade,” she said. “They remember it, but they’re different artists now.”
And the students love knowing their artwork will be on display for all to see.
“They love finding their friends’ artwork,” Brown said. “And they really love the freedom of “The Dot” lesson. I give them a starting point, but then I let them use any of the materials they want, within reason. … Even though they’re all making a dot, they’re all very unique.”
Celebrating Dot Day has not only served as a means for the students to explore their artistic tendencies, but also for Brown to learn more about them.
“Especially in the kindergarten class, I am able to make observations of the students, how they hold their crayons and markers, as well assess their skill level and gauge their interests,” she said.
