When school resumes for Sandy Hook, it will be in a new building. Parent-volunteers are working to ensure that the students are welcomed back by a winter wonderland with the entire school decorated with as many unique snowflakes as possible. We encourage senders to be as creative as possible, remembering that no two snowflakes are alike. Please make and send snowflakes by January 12, 2013 to:

Connecticut PTSA 
60 Connolly Parkway 
Building 12, Suite 103 
Hamden, CT 06514

The above is from the National PTA http://www.pta.org.

I expect to channel the energies of our 5/6 art students to make snowflakes on the Wednesday and Thursday that we return to school in the new year. However, if you would like to make snowflakes over the holiday break, send them in to school by January 4 and I will include them with our package(s).

Here is a link to make a basic snowflake (I say basic, but this artist is a little over the top with his/her cutting):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yw2bg0fRho&feature=endscreen 

Here is a link to make 6 pointed snowflakes (It’s all in the folding. The opposite of above, this artist simplifies the cutting. If you trim up toward the end, you can create points): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9yJaHNII4M

Here is a link to make 3D snowflakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bLncGiovYQ. A timesaver tip from me – if you fold the first triangle once more in half, you make half the cuts.

Here are some photos of these exact snowflakes created by our Art Club just two weeks ago on December 5:

Educationally speaking: Yes, this is art but it is also math. The official name for paper cutting designs is Scherenschnitte: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scherenschnitte. A wonderful book to tie-in is  Snowflake Bentley:

And here is the link to the official Snowflake Bentley website: http://snowflakebentley.com.

I am so glad to share this with you today. It feels good to be able to channel some creative energy toward the Sandy Hook community…