My name is Rachel Stone and this is my first year teaching K-5 Art at Plato Academy! I am very excited to be joining the Plato Academy family and I am looking forward to a fabulous year of exploring art and creating with the elementary students at Seminole, Largo, and Pinellas Park. We will be experimenting with many art mediums throughout the year and learning about artists and art history to broaden our cultural knowledge and vocabulary, to inspire our creativity and art making process, to connect more deeply to the world and to open ourselves to new ways of seeing. I recently relocated to St. Petersburg, FL from Massachusetts where I taught 7th and 8th grade Art at Pembroke Middle School. A second Art Teacher was needed at the high school due to the extensive demand and sheer number of students signing up for various art classes as their electives, so I moved on to teach Art at Pembroke High School for six years. I held a Massachusetts educator license for Visual Arts while teaching there and since moving to Florida received my certificate of eligibility to teach K-12 Art. As of November 2016 I now hold my Temporary Certificate from the Florida Department of Education to teach Art K-12. I successfully passed the MTEL in Visual Arts and Communication and Literacy in 2005, and held my Massachusetts Educator License since 2006. I am currently working on obtaining my Professional Certificate from the Florida DOE upon completion of the 15 semester hours of education courses required and I will also be pursuing my Florida ESOL certification this school year. I am a graduate of Suffolk University and New England School of Art and Design in Boston, MA where I received my BFA in Fine Arts. My favorite activities outside of school are painting, drawing, traveling, researching artists and art history, fishing, concerts, yoga and spending time with my friends and family. I have thoroughly enjoyed every day of my career as an Art Teacher! It is very rewarding to see my students create new things and find joy in developing their creativity and artistry. At the end of every class session I choose one to three "Art Stars" based solely on effort and behavior. In my class I am always looking for students who are trying new things, experimenting with materials, thinking creatively and most importantly, trying their best! I welcome your questions, comments, or concerns at any time during the school year. I may be reached at the telephone number or email address listed below, and I look forward to a successful artistic and academic year at Plato Academy. Best regards, Rachel Stone Art Educator Plato Academy Largo (727) 228 - 9952 Plato Academy Seminole (727) 228 - 9950 Plato Academy Pinellas Park (727) 521 - 7260 [email protected] |