Connecting Through A Calendar
DOWNLOAD THE 2019-20 BFS STUDENT ART CALENDAR HERE.
An illuminated tree, its red leaves lit by the sun.
A complex collage, with images of eyes and fire.
A face, peeking through massive, brightly-colored flowers.
These are just some of the images of children鈥檚 art gracing the pages of the 黑料专区 2019-20 calendar.聽Accompanying each image is an adjective, followed by a quote such as this one from Isaac Pennington, an early Friend and ardent defender of the Quaker tradition: 聽Compassionate 鈥撀�鈥淥ur life is love, and peace, and tenderness; and bearing one with another, and forgiving one another鈥nd helping one another.鈥� Or one from former First Lady Michelle Obama, accompanying a powerful image of a female face: Virtuous 鈥�鈥淢y mother鈥檚 love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, her intelligence reflected in my daughters.鈥�
The calendar certainly tracks days, months, and school holidays, but it also has a mission, according to the All-School Quaker Life Committee, as demonstrated in its Testimony of Integrity:
鈥淲e seek to have consistency between our values and our actions, to live according to the deepest truth we know, reflecting the Light within us and to speak the truth; we know that our understanding of the truth at any moment is incomplete, and we are open to new ideas, new paths, and new solutions.鈥�
Indeed, the words are all the more powerful, when paired with the vibrant images of student art.
According to committee member Andrew Cohen, it鈥檚 all about connection. 鈥淭he BFS annual calendar is designed with the intention of connecting and involving the families and colleagues with our shared Quaker values. Even the process of creating the calendar comes from this intention. First, BFS colleagues are surveyed about what will be the testimony聽of the year. Next, the All-School Quaker Life Committee selects words that speak to that聽testimony.聽Quotes are collected that speak to these words and finally, [Director of Communications] Joan Martin finds student-made artwork to enhance and reflect the words and quotes.鈥�
鈥淯ltimately, it鈥檚 like putting a beautiful puzzle together because you鈥檙e pulling out the art and piecing in a word and quote and you want them all to interconnect,鈥� said Joan. An added challenge, she observed, 聽is choosing from the abundance of art works created by the students and representing work from all school divisions, from preschool through high school.
Still another goal in creating the calendar is to highlight the many art mediums in which BFS students create, among them mixed media, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, collage and woodwork., “I could easily select one piece of exquisite art in a different medium for every month,鈥� said Joan. 鈥淏ut I just can鈥檛.” She continued, ” I think it鈥檚 important to share as much of the outstanding work of our students as we are able to. As a result, what could have been a calendar of 14 student art works now has 38 pieces!鈥�
Perhaps the back of the calendar says it all: Integrity 鈥�鈥淭hrough this calendar, the All- School Quaker Life Committee hopes to inspire all community members to support one another with integrity and to share kindness, patience, and wisdom with each other.鈥�