Have you ever heard of International Dot Day? The young artists at Lamar County Primary and Lamar County Elementary certainly have. This annual celebration based on the children’s book, The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds has become a much anticipated staple of our lower schools in Lamar County.
Students at both schools took part in the world-wide recognition of Dot Day by wearing polka-dotted outfits, creating artwork with a variety of materials and themes, and viewing large collaborative displays featuring their designs. Art teachers, Chrislenn Kight and Haley Turner, spearheaded the events in their respective buildings, but many teachers and support staff joined in the fun to make it a memorable event for students.
At the primary school, students started preparing for Dot Day two weeks early to allow time for material exploration through centers and hands-on activities. Kindergarten through second grade students were invited to create dots at different stations like mixed media, collage, and printmaking. Kight referenced that the dot making party caused a little mess and chaos, but the smiles and creativity were worth the hustle. Leading up to Dot Day, students took part in an “Imagine the Dot” challenge where they turned small dots created with bingo daubers into something new. The young artists used their imaginations to turn their dots into animals, emotions, food, bugs, sports equipment, and more.
The Dot Day excitement extended to third through fifth graders at Lamar County Elementary where each grade created their own dots in different themes. Turner and a crew of parent volunteers, paraprofessionals, and custodians stayed after school on Thursday, September 12, to hang over 700 dots and projects so students could witness the big reveal on Friday for the Dot Day event. Third graders learned about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and created dots using concentric circles similar to one of the artist’s famous paintings. Fourth graders flexed their math skills by using fraction vocabulary to divide up their circle then painted patterns of lines in each section. Fifth graders mimicked the main character of The Dot and painted a dot by not painting a dot. They learned the difference between positive and negative space and utilized this concept in their work.
For more information about Dot Day and the book that started this celebration, visit www.internationaldotday.org. International Dot Day 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of this special event celebrating creativity, overcoming challenges, and encouraging others. Whether in art, sports, school, work, or other areas of life, we hope the students of Lamar County will continue to “make their mark.”
Haley Turner
Haley Turner is a writer, teacher, and arts enthusiast born and raised in Jackson, Georgia. She shares stories highlighting education, community events, and local creative outlets. She resides in Barnesville with her husband, Grant.
