(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Doha: Teachers and students at Qatar Academy Msheireb and Qatar Academy Doha – both schools under Qatar Foundation's Pre-University Education – have embarked on an artistic journey that aims to empower students to make their mark based on Peter R Reynolds' book The Dot.
Art galleries displaying students' talents and artworks covered the schools' premises this week from the car park up to the stairs, all the way to the classrooms, in celebration of self-expression and courage and sought to make a difference through unique and creative masterpieces.
The art galleries were inspired by Reynolds' book, which tells a story of a young girl who believed she could not draw, and whose teacher gently encouraged her to make a mark on a paper. She started with only a dot on the first day, which the teacher portrayed in a frame, and this dot was only the start of her art creations.
The story highlights how perseverance and change of perspective could lead to extraordinary things and the importance of encouraging and nurturing others. In the spirit of the book, library and art teachers and the wellbeing coach at Qatar Academy Msheireb (QAM) joined creative forces to plot their very own QAM Dot celebration of art and expression for their students. And added a special twist that sent a powerful message.
Mohamed Ahmed, QAM's art teacher and the curator of the QAM Dot Gallery, placed a“mark” at the height of 2.37m on a wall where the students enter school every day after Qatar athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim made his own mark at the Tokyo Olympics, winning an Olympic gold medal in the high jump.
“It wasn't only the medal that Barshim won, but also the sportsmanship he demonstrated agreeing to share the gold medal with a competitor that inspired us to make the mark on the wall,” said Mohamed.
“In return, we used the mark on the wall at QAM to inspire students to make their unique mark in a way that will make the world a better place - not by being the best in the world, but simply by being the best they can be.”
Mohamed also introduced students to pointillism – the practice of applying small strokes or dots to a surface so that, from a distance, they appear to blend together - during art lessons and enabled them to explore different mediums for artistic expression. He has supported students with artistic ideas, resources, and a creative spark, but most importantly, advocated for student choice in the form of expression.
Manal Ramadan, the QAM Library Specialist, shared the inspirational book The Dot in Arabic and English with her students. She regularly selects and shares books that stimulate reflective, critical, and creative thinking to help nurture students who are well-versed in engaging with and learning from meaningful stories.
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