Art

As we approach the holidays, I am always asked by parents what art gifts are good options to give their children. Inspired by my years of teaching art, parenting my own children and Jean Van’t Hul’s recent book, The Artful Parent, I decided to put together a list of artsy gift ideas and share my very own edition of “Super Spangler’s Favorite Things.”

In The Artful Parent, Van’t Hul lists a variety of benefits art has on children. These include the development of fine motor skills, problem solving skills, creativity and making sense of their world and the world...Read more

This year, I start most of my mornings in the 6B classroom. If you walked into the room, you would likely notice natural light pouring through the wall of windows. Your eye may then find the rainbow tower of construction paper and a shelf lined with bottles of paint. In a typical year, the 6B classroom is the art room.

Our art teacher, Erica Spangler, starts her day a few doors down in the Extended Day room. Because many specialist classrooms have been repurposed to enable adequate social distancing, the Extended Day room has become a temporary office for teachers. There, “Super...Read more

I remember meeting with Mrs. Zurlinden before spring break in March of 2020. We had discussed the very real possibility of moving to remote learning after the break, and I wondered what that scenario could possibly look like for art. How could I teach art remotely? Mrs. Z told me one thing I’ll never forget, “Your job is to bring joy to the kids.”

Bringing Joy...Read more

Great Stories. Great Graduates. A special interview featuring a mother-daughter duo.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "An education is the investment with the greatest returns." A friend of mine who sent her daughter to Rossman years ago is always quick to share that it was one of her best investments. Funny thing is, her Rossman alum daughter now enjoys a burgeoning career in NYC in the field of investments. As head of school, I am always curious to learn what families value in a Rossman education, so I enthusiastically took the opportunity to interview this mother...Read more

Over spring break last year, my husband (John), daughter (Ellie) and I went to Kawete, Uganda. There we worked at CCLS-U, an elementary school that is supported and funded by their sister school here in Kirkwood, MO, where my husband is a seventh grade teacher. That trip was life-changing for the three of us in many ways. It impacted my husband...Read more

Junior Kindergarten naturally incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) throughout the school day. This solid foundation for a Rossman education is built through play and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. As teachers, we provide the materials and initiate the activities, but it is important to know when to step back and allow a child’s natural curiosity, interest and problem solving skills to take over. Excitement for learning is evident as the...Read more