Recent news​
Mrs. Temores (P.C.), Ms. Ferriter (Braun) and Mrs. Schnell and daughters dropped off the holiday wreath on Sunday at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Braun and Project Challenge Students Recycle the Recyclables
November 5, 2017
Project Challenge sponsored a recycling drive for all of the Braun building in the month of October. Many items were recycled and Braun received funds to use toward student activities. Some of the plastic items that were unable to be used were recycled into a collaborative art piece for the Shedd Aquarium's "Wreath to Save the Sea" Holiday deck the halls exhibit. We used recycled plastic bottles to decorate a wreath provided by the Shedd to bring awareness to keeping plastics out of the water ways to save marine and wildlife. The wreath was dropped off in early November and will be on display near the Coral Reef exhibit through the holiday season.
Argo High Lites-
Summit High School District 217 Newsletter
October 2014
Melissa Ferriter is the Art Therapist that works with the PEOPEL students weekly focusing on art in the form of not just the product, but the process of sensory integration and learning to work as a collaborative group to create one large piece. The PEOPEL Fine Arts students are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from September 15-October 15th. Students worked together to create a Hispanic inspired garland for the cafeteria. PEOPLE’S students used tissue paper to make colorful flowers with the assistance of student help. Gen Ed students will make paple piccaddos by cutting a template over construction paper. The flowers and piccados are alternated on a string to decorate the classroom.
Dia De Los Meurtos coloring pages were provided for students to color and hang around the rest of the board.
To view other collaborative Art therapy projects, stop by 125 to view the students’ recreation of Van Gogh’s Starry Night on the bulletin board and our group weaving which hangs in the doorway. This piece demonstrates the coming together of various groups, talents, and strengths into one.
Braun Walks to Support The Bridge Teen Center
October 2013
​On October 5, 2013, Braun staff walked to support The Bridge Teen Center. The Braun team was part of a larger team in which Melissa Ferriter organized. This team raised $1,700 to support The Bridge Teen Center. The walk took place from 9a.m. until noon at the Orland Civic Center. All walkers had the opportunity to support and experience the organization's free programs during their 1.5 mile journey. Stations were positioned throughout the walk, and everyone experienced first-hand the Bridge's five program buckets: Mind/Body, Expressive Arts, Community Connections, Educational Support, and Every Day Life.
Planned stations included a community art project staffed by the Coop's own Art Therapist, Melissa Ferriter. This provided an opportunity to assist with a service project to support our military, and a stop at Orland Junior High where walkers played a game of Are You Smarter than a 7th Grader?.
Ms. Ferriter Spends a Week In Residence at the College of Fine and Applied Arts at U of I
June 22, 2014
During the week of June 22-28 Art Therapist Melissa Ferriter took part in a 6 day Art Educator Micro Residency Program at the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Champaign campus. The program grouped 24 applicants from throughout the midwest with Fine and Applied Arts faculty mentors to explore new media in art, develop technique and discuss current events and applications in art education. The week culminated with a gallery show on Friday, June 27th at Figure One Gallery in Champaign, IL. Melissa's worked identified the stereotypes and labels that students with emotional and behavioral disorders face from the schools, peers, parents and the community. By using the archetypes of mythalogical beasts paired with silhouettes of children the imagery suggests that the aggressive words and actions of the student often earn the student a reputation, label or misconceived identity as monstrous person, when it is in fact a myth. The educator's role is to see beyond the scaly, stone or spiked exterior of that masked individual and then tend to the child within.
Braun Students Participate in UglyCon 2014
June 21, 2014
Braun's 4th and 5th grade art therapy work is currently on display in Los Angeles, California at UglyCon 2014! Inspired by a student's love for Ugly Dolls, Ms. Ferriter helped students make a their own version of an ugly-buddy to teach lessons on self acceptance, bullying awareness, and noticing that it's what's on the inside of friends that counts. Each student in Ms. Mitchell's class hand stitched a plush buddy to take home back in October. Then in May the class answered an open call to make fan art for UglyCon 2014 by sewing a second Ugly Doll to send off the the convention to celebrate IceBat's 10th birthday. With help from Ms. Mazan, Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Ferriter, the students again demonstrated their sewing skills and shipped their creations off to California for the grand opening on June 21, 2014. Braun's photos were posted in the UglyCon Facebook fan page and generated a number of positive comments from all over the U.S. Even David Horvath, creator of the UglyDoll commented, "IceBat x 1000, made my day!" The display is at Giant Robot Gallery and runs through July 9th.
