Art

September & October 2025

About Me
Hello, my name is Isabella Roberto and I am the art teacher at Catholic Academy. I
graduated from Buffalo State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education. It is
so exciting to be back for my second year of teaching. I am so blessed to be a part of
such a wonderful community, and I look forward to the school year!

Welcome to the months of September and October in the art room! To start off the
school year, we will begin our art journey by exploring personal identity and self-
expression. Students will engage in creative activities like; All About Me projects, which
will help us learn more about one another and what inspires each student. As we move
into October, we will shift our focus to Fall and Halloween-inspired projects. During this
time, students will be introduced to new art materials and vocabulary, giving them the
opportunity to experiment with different techniques while embracing the season’s
themes.

Pre-K 4 & Kindergarten are going to work on a variety of developmentally appropriate
projects. As this is their first time being in the art classroom, we will go over the
rules and continually implement them throughout the year. They will learn the colors of
the rainbow and how to color the rainbow in order, so I can gauge where their art and
listening skills are currently. They will also listen to a read aloud story of How the
Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney. For their first official project of the
year, we will read the story The Dot and create an artwork inspired by the message of
the story. As we move into October, we will talk about the season of Fall and what
happens to the leaves during this time. The students will learn how to create leaf
rubbings and watch the magic of what happens when you add water to bleeding tissue
paper on top.

1st & 2nd Grade will review and practice the expectations and rules of the art room. I
will get to know the students by having them write and color a postcard of what they did
over the summer. This will help me gauge their current skill level, so I can better curate
specific projects for them. Along with the other elementary grades, we will read the book
The Dot and create a developmentally appropriate project based on the message of
the story. As we move into October, our projects will become more Fall and Halloween
inspired to embrace the season. Students will learn how to paint their very own fall trees
by using unconventional painting tools like q-tips to create texture.

3rd & 4th Grade will review and practice the expectations and rules of the art room. I
will get to know the students by having them write and color a postcard of what they did
over the summer. This will help me gauge their current skill level, so I can better curate
specific projects for them. Along with the other elementary grades, we will read the book
The Dot and create a developmentally appropriate project based on the message of
the story. As we move into October, we will learn about the different elements of art and
create painted pumpkins in the style of Yayoi Kusama. She is known for her repeated
use of dots in her artwork.

5th & 6th Grade kicks off the year with creating their “All About Me iPhones”. This will
help me determine their prior knowledge, so I can better curate specific projects for
them and get to know them more. At the end of October, students will learn about the
history of the Day of the Dead and create their own sugar skull prints.

7th & 8th Grade kicks off the year with creating their “All About Me Action Figures”.
This will help me determine their prior knowledge, so I can better curate specific
projects for them and get to know them more. As we move into October, students will
create Tim Burton inspired self portraits. During this project students will have the
opportunity to practice drawing with graphite and using the element of value in their
portrait.

You may  access the parent portal here https://parentportal.eschooldata.com/buffalodiocese

Isabella Robert  iroberto@cawb.org

Art Overview:

The Art curriculum at Catholic Academy helps to develop personal expression, an application of diverse art styles and art history, plus an understanding of art in our lives and as a career. All grade levels use a variety of media, visuals, and art mediums to create artwork. Art this year will have an overall theme of self-expression and focus on various themes in art. Students will be learning about art techniques, elements and principles of design, art history, and contemporary artists working today!

The Art Google Classroom for each grade level will be important for students to communicate about art class, however, virtual learners will need to post their work online here as well. If the school ever needs to switch to virtual instruction there will be projects, homework, quizzes, and response questions posted there to be completed at home and submitted by the posted due date. 

If a student is learning virtually, google slides, links, and videos are likely to be posted the day we have class and we will do zoom calls during the class time. If there are any questions on an assignment, any week day during school hours would be the best time to email me with questions or to schedule a zoom conference.

My Art Teaching Philosophy:

The arts are an essential part of the curriculum and visual art is present in everything we do. Artistic practice is beneficial in the art room as well as other subject areas and aspects of life. Art allows for creative thinking and problem solving in addition to building knowledge of art and art history. I believe that through art, students can express themselves, have a creative outlet, and find new ways of questioning, thinking, and learning. I believe that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being. For me, it is important to integrate science, history, math, and technology as well as other subjects into lessons and projects because of art’s connection to multiple disciplines. My philosophy also includes the understanding of child development, artistic development, and the different ways in which students learn. While I want students to learn the foundations of art, above all, my goal is for students to be in a safe environment where they are encouraged to learn, explore, and hopefully have some fun along the way! 

Ms. Isabella Roberto
iroberto@cawb.org