It was a cultural night at John Green Elementary School. Students and their families strolled through the multipurpose room enjoying close to 200 pieces of framed art. Who was the artist of these magnificent pieces?  The students of Green, that’s who. Thursday night was the 2nd Annual Art in Action Art Show and it was even more amazing and memorable than the first year.

Throughout the school year each class at Green participates in a wonderful program entitled Art in Action. Volunteers from each class are selected and then periodically, throughout the school year, they go into their assigned classrooms to teach an art lesson. 

The program allows for short art history discussion about a particular piece or technique the students will be studying. Then the students get to enjoy hands on art, emphasizing the technique or type of art just studied. Art lessons and projects are done about once a month. Each classroom spends a little over an hour on each lesson.

An array of different mediums is available, depending on the selected piece. Anything from painting with twigs to oil pastels, charcoal and even weaving yarn can be done. The docents, or volunteer art teachers for each class, do not need to have an art or art history background. The program is designed to easily teach and create art with kindergarten through fifth-grade students.  

Some of the docents put in oodles of extra time to prepare and practice the art themselves before teaching it to their class. In my opinion, it really is one of the best programs Green offers. The program is paid for by the Parent Faculty Club and has been chaired by Amy Chau for the past two years. 

As a parent of two, soon to be three, Green students, I am thrilled and thankful for Amy and all the classroom docents. I think the Art in Action program offers something very valuable to our students. Unfortunately, schools today simply do not have time or money to run art programs like this. There are lots of teachers who would love to incorporate more art into their classrooms, but simply do not have the time or money to do so. The PFC, Amy and all of the wonderful volunteer docents make that possible for Green Elementary students. 

If the amazing student created art pieces was not enough, Thursday’s festivities also included the final phase of the “1000 Cranes for Japan Project”.  Although I posted many pictures of this night, the photographs simply do not do the awe inspiring crane exhibit justice. It truly is something you must see in person. 

As you walk into the front doors of Green Elementary, you are immediately drawn to the origami cranes hanging from the wall and ceiling. The birds take your eyes further down the hall until you reach the library where a jaw dropping display of over 1000 student created origami cranes are hanging.

I was first stuck by how the cranes moved or “took flight” in their exhibit.  Unlike most “1000 Cranes” displays, this one was more like a mobile, allowing each crane to be seen and viewed individually. There were cranes strung all along the ceiling beams where the light from the skylights filters in making it look as if the cranes are moving or fluttering about.   

The beautiful exhibit was designed by Patricia Ravarra, the wife of the principal at Green Elementary, Keith Nomura. Patricia, a theater performer, dancer and singing, also has experience in building art exhibits such as the one on display now at the school.

“I have built a similar exhibit like this before, but forgot how rewarding and enjoyable constructing art displays like this can be. I am thankful I was able to be a part of it,”  said Patricia.    

I know I speak for all the moms involved in this project when I say, we are thankful and grateful to Patricia and her talent as well as her time.  Without her, Greens’ students and their families would not have been exposed to something so beautiful and powerful. The entire exhibit is peaceful and reflective – exactly as the Japanese moms had hoped.

Staying with the tradition of 1000 Cranes, outside the library there is a wall filled with messages of hope. Each student had the opportunity to make a wish for Japan after making an origami crane.  Many teachers also made a wish for Japan and those most affected by this tragedy. The message wall is appropriately titled “Ganbare Nipponi” which roughly translates to “Be Strong Japan.”   

The “1000 Cranes for Japan” was a fundraiser, with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to Japan and those who need it most. Principal Nomura and the moms involved in the project hoped they would raise $1,000, but in the end the generous community of John Green Elementary donated close to $7,000.00 to the Japanese Culture and Community Center of Northern California, or the JCCCNCP. 

In fact, another $1,200 was raised selling beautiful homemade jewelry during the art show, making Green’s total Japan relief donation more than $8,000.00. Another jewelry sale was also held at Springfield Montessori about four weeks ago and raised an astonishing $4,300.00. It is inspiring and hopeful to know so many care about the world and those around them. 

Mr. Nomura spoke about the project and how he is always amazed at how giving and openhanded the families at Green are. 

“I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the families in this community. It truly amazes me," he said.

After a slide show about Japan and the hopes for a stronger and even better future, there was a moment of silence to remember the victims of the horrible tragedy. As I looked around the room I felt the importance of the night for so many. I think the children felt it too and will always remember being part of something so meaningful. 

As the students walk the halls next week and make their weekly visit to the library, I think they will look up and see the cranes and reflect upon the project. They may even take a moment to think about the kids across the Pacific and hope they are doing better and are staying strong. I know many of us will be thinking the same thing... Ganbare Nipponi.