Two neighboring school districts in Cuyahoga County recently worked together on a project that had the kids tackling teamwork.
Brunswick versus Strongsville; it's a monster rivalry in sports.
But in the classroom, we found just kids-- using creativity to build community.
"Those are the days that are so cool," said Mr. Vance at Kidder Elementary. "When the kids are so engaged and having so much fun -- so am I!”
The only competition in Mr. Mark Vance’s art class is challenging yourself to dream up the silliest and wackiest monster.
"It's like really fuzzy," said Grayson Almigdad.
I talked with 8-year-old Grayson, along with other Brunswick third graders, as they were putting the finishing touches on their monster drawings.
"I really stress the creative process," said Vance. "How do I get what's up here (he said, pointing to his head) out and on to paper?"
After sketching their drawings, the kids colored them in with colored pencils that turned into watercolors with the stroke of a wet paintbrush.
"I have a soda can on its tongue right now," said Grayson, as he described his monster, which grabs things with its tongue.
"I think it looks pretty good," he said.
Grayson and his classmates are part of a monster mashup.
"He's a taco monster, and he eats his baby tacos," said 9-year-old Calvin Bruno.
I asked him why, and he giggled and said, "I don't know, he just does that!"
Meanwhile, 9-year-old Katherine Ebert created a five-headed monster, each with a different personality.
"I love art class because I can think of anything and make it," she said.
The kids are using their imaginations to make their similarities and differences shine and to help create connections.
"I've actually seen this online," said Rose Olive, a student teacher at Strongsville High School.
Olive finished her student teaching this past school year at Strongsville High, but last year she student taught with Vance.
She took what she had seen online and used it to create an idea that she pitched to Vance.
"And he said, 'Yes,'" she said.
The lesson plan: His Brunswick kids draw the monsters, and then her Strongsville ceramics students take them from 2D to 3D.
"I didn’t even know there was a rivalry," said Olive.
The only thing on display between the two schools for this project is camaraderie.
"My little brother draws so much," said Curtis Lofgren-Perrot, a senior. "So, doing this for another little kid is really cool.”
Plus, collaboration.
"I would've never come up with that," said Grace Arold, a senior, as she carved clay to make a jester-style monster with multiple legs.
"It's just something fun for me to do," she added. "It’s relaxing. It [gave] me an escape.”
And, appreciation for everyone's work.
"I like art because it shows people’s true personality," said Emily Gansert, a junior. "You don’t have to hide something.”
Emily got Katherine’s five-headed monster.
I told her how Katherine was so excited for all the different emotions.
'Yeah, I saw that, and I like the one with the three eyes," Emily said with a smile. "It’s funny!”
She couldn’t wait to see Katherine’s and all the kids’ reactions.
Hopefully, they like it," said Emily.
"They put their whole heart into it," Olive said about her students and the monsters.
After two weeks of the high schoolers working on their ceramics, it was time for the big reveal. It was time for the third graders to see their drawings brought to life.
"Some of these are just absolutely out of control,” Vance said as he set them up in his classroom.
The colors and the care are on full display.
"The high schoolers did such an amazing job," he said.
The detail was meticulous.
"The details with the ice cream cone and the little top, and there’s little sprinkles here on the doughnut," said Vance, holding a dessert monster.
"I know my reaction is just like blown away," he said. "I can’t imagine how they’re going to feel.”
As the kids entered the classroom, Vance announced it was monster day.
The kids erupted in cheers.
They showed so much genuine excitement to see their monsters and their friends' monsters as they were handed out one by one.
"Whoa," a student, as Vance held up Calvin's taco monster - beans and all. "That is sick!"
"It's cool," Calvin said with a giant smile.
Grayson thought his high school counterpart did a great job creating his fuzzy, soda-snatching tongue monster.
And, Katherine loved her personality-packed monster.
"Thank you for my sculpture," she said, holding it out proudly.
The gratitude went both ways; the high schoolers, who were unable to be there in person, sent each child a letter describing the process and expressing how much they enjoyed the project.
While sports may have their rivalries, when it comes to the arts, these two classrooms prove that nothing rivals the joy of creating together.
"It was awesome for her to reach out to me," Vance said about Olive. "This was such a great experience."
